@misc{EbigboRauberAyoubetal., author = {Ebigbo, Alanna and Rauber, David and Ayoub, Mousa and Birzle, Lisa and Matsumura, Tomoaki and Probst, Andreas and Steinbr{\"u}ck, Ingo and Nagl, Sandra and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Meinikheim, Michael and Scheppach, Markus W. and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut}, title = {Early Esophageal Cancer and the Generalizability of Artificial Intelligence}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {56}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 02}, publisher = {Thieme}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0044-1783775}, pages = {S428}, abstract = {Aims Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in gastrointestinal endoscopy are narrow because they are trained to solve only one specific task. Unlike Narrow-AI, general AI systems may be able to solve multiple and unrelated tasks. We aimed to understand whether an AI system trained to detect, characterize, and segment early Barrett's neoplasia (Barrett's AI) is only capable of detecting this pathology or can also detect and segment other diseases like early squamous cell cancer (SCC). Methods 120 white light (WL) and narrow-band endoscopic images (NBI) from 60 patients (1 WL and 1 NBI image per patient) were extracted from the endoscopic database of the University Hospital Augsburg. Images were annotated by three expert endoscopists with extensive experience in the diagnosis and endoscopic resection of early esophageal neoplasias. An AI system based on DeepLabV3+architecture dedicated to early Barrett's neoplasia was tested on these images. The AI system was neither trained with SCC images nor had it seen the test images prior to evaluation. The overlap between the three expert annotations („expert-agreement") was the ground truth for evaluating AI performance. Results Barrett's AI detected early SCC with a mean intersection over reference (IoR) of 92\% when at least 1 pixel of the AI prediction overlapped with the expert-agreement. When the threshold was increased to 5\%, 10\%, and 20\% overlap with the expert-agreement, the IoR was 88\%, 85\% and 82\%, respectively. The mean Intersection Over Union (IoU) - a metric according to segmentation quality between the AI prediction and the expert-agreement - was 0.45. The mean expert IoU as a measure of agreement between the three experts was 0.60. Conclusions In the context of this pilot study, the predictions of SCC by a Barrett's dedicated AI showed some overlap to the expert-agreement. Therefore, features learned from Barrett's cancer-related training might be helpful also for SCC prediction. Our results allow different possible explanations. On the one hand, some Barrett's cancer features generalize toward the related task of assessing early SCC. On the other hand, the Barrett's AI is less specific to Barrett's cancer than a general predictor of pathological tissue. However, we expect to enhance the detection quality significantly by extending the training to SCC-specific data. The insight of this study opens the way towards a transfer learning approach for more efficient training of AI to solve tasks in other domains.}, language = {en} } @misc{ScheppachMendelRauberetal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Mendel, Robert and Rauber, David and Probst, Andreas and Nagl, Sandra and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Meinikheim, Michael and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Artificial Intelligence (AI) improves endoscopists' vessel detection during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {56}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 02}, publisher = {Thieme}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0044-1782891}, pages = {S93}, abstract = {Aims While AI has been successfully implemented in detecting and characterizing colonic polyps, its role in therapeutic endoscopy remains to be elucidated. Especially third space endoscopy procedures like ESD and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) pose a technical challenge and the risk of operator-dependent complications like intraprocedural bleeding and perforation. Therefore, we aimed at developing an AI-algorithm for intraprocedural real time vessel detection during ESD and POEM. Methods A training dataset consisting of 5470 annotated still images from 59 full-length videos (47 ESD, 12 POEM) and 179681 unlabeled images was used to train a DeepLabV3+neural network with the ECMT semi-supervised learning method. Evaluation for vessel detection rate (VDR) and time (VDT) of 19 endoscopists with and without AI-support was performed using a testing dataset of 101 standardized video clips with 200 predefined blood vessels. Endoscopists were stratified into trainees and experts in third space endoscopy. Results The AI algorithm had a mean VDR of 93.5\% and a median VDT of 0.32 seconds. AI support was associated with a statistically significant increase in VDR from 54.9\% to 73.0\% and from 59.0\% to 74.1\% for trainees and experts, respectively. VDT significantly decreased from 7.21 sec to 5.09 sec for trainees and from 6.10 sec to 5.38 sec for experts in the AI-support group. False positive (FP) readings occurred in 4.5\% of frames. FP structures were detected significantly shorter than true positives (0.71 sec vs. 5.99 sec). Conclusions AI improved VDR and VDT of trainees and experts in third space endoscopy and may reduce performance variability during training. Further research is needed to evaluate the clinical impact of this new technology.}, language = {en} } @misc{ZellmerRauberProbstetal., author = {Zellmer, Stephan and Rauber, David and Probst, Andreas and Weber, Tobias and Braun, Georg and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Nagl, Sandra and Schnoy, Elisabeth and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Artificial intelligence as a tool in the detection of the papillary ostium during ERCP}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {56}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 02}, publisher = {Thieme}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0044-1783138}, pages = {S198}, abstract = {Aims Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) is the gold standard in the diagnosis as well as treatment of diseases of the pancreatobiliary tract. However, it is technically complex and has a relatively high complication rate. In particular, cannulation of the papillary ostium remains challenging. The aim of this study is to examine whether a deep-learning algorithm can be used to detect the major duodenal papilla and in particular the papillary ostium reliably and could therefore be a valuable tool for inexperienced endoscopists, particularly in training situation. Methods We analyzed a total of 654 retrospectively collected images of 85 patients. Both the major duodenal papilla and the ostium were then segmented. Afterwards, a neural network was trained using a deep-learning algorithm. A 5-fold cross-validation was performed. Subsequently, we ran the algorithm on 5 prospectively collected videos of ERCPs. Results 5-fold cross-validation on the 654 labeled data resulted in an F1 value of 0.8007, a sensitivity of 0.8409 and a specificity of 0.9757 for the class papilla, and an F1 value of 0.5724, a sensitivity of 0.5456 and a specificity of 0.9966 for the class ostium. Regardless of the class, the average F1 value (class papilla and class ostium) was 0.6866, the sensitivity 0.6933 and the specificity 0.9861. In 100\% of cases the AI-detected localization of the papillary ostium in the prospectively collected videos corresponded to the localization of the cannulation performed by the endoscopist. Conclusions In the present study, the neural network was able to identify the major duodenal papilla with a high sensitivity and high specificity. In detecting the papillary ostium, the sensitivity was notably lower. However, when used on videos, the AI was able to identify the location of the subsequent cannulation with 100\% accuracy. In the future, the neural network will be trained with more data. Thus, a suitable tool for ERCP could be established, especially in the training situation.}, language = {en} } @misc{ScheppachNunesArizietal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Nunes, Danilo Weber and Arizi, X. and Rauber, David and Probst, Andreas and Nagl, Sandra and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Meinikheim, Michael and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Procedural phase recognition in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) using artificial intelligence (AI)}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {56}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 02}, publisher = {Thieme}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0044-1783804}, pages = {S439}, abstract = {Aims Recent evidence suggests the possibility of intraprocedural phase recognition in surgical operations as well as endoscopic interventions such as peroral endoscopic myotomy and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) by AI-algorithms. The intricate measurement of intraprocedural phase distribution may deepen the understanding of the procedure. Furthermore, real-time quality assessment as well as automation of reporting may become possible. Therefore, we aimed to develop an AI-algorithm for intraprocedural phase recognition during ESD. Methods A training dataset of 364385 single images from 9 full-length ESD videos was compiled. Each frame was classified into one procedural phase. Phases included scope manipulation, marking, injection, application of electrical current and bleeding. Allocation of each frame was only possible to one category. This training dataset was used to train a Video Swin transformer to recognize the phases. Temporal information was included via logarithmic frame sampling. Validation was performed using two separate ESD videos with 29801 single frames. Results The validation yielded sensitivities of 97.81\%, 97.83\%, 95.53\%, 85.01\% and 87.55\% for scope manipulation, marking, injection, electric application and bleeding, respectively. Specificities of 77.78\%, 90.91\%, 95.91\%, 93.65\% and 84.76\% were measured for the same parameters. Conclusions The developed algorithm was able to classify full-length ESD videos on a frame-by-frame basis into the predefined classes with high sensitivities and specificities. Future research will aim at the development of quality metrics based on single-operator phase distribution.}, language = {en} } @misc{ScheppachRauberStallhoferetal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Rauber, David and Stallhofer, Johannes and Muzalyova, Anna and Otten, Vera and Manzeneder, Carolin and Schwamberger, Tanja and Wanzl, Julia and Schlottmann, Jakob and Tadic, Vidan and Probst, Andreas and Schnoy, Elisabeth and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Fleischmann, Carola and Meinikheim, Michael and Miller, Silvia and M{\"a}rkl, Bruno and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Performance comparison of a deep learning algorithm with endoscopists in the detection of duodenal villous atrophy (VA)}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {55}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S02}, publisher = {Thieme}, doi = {10.1055/s-0043-1765421}, pages = {S165}, abstract = {Aims VA is an endoscopic finding of celiac disease (CD), which can easily be missed if pretest probability is low. In this study, we aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm for the detection of villous atrophy on endoscopic images. Methods 858 images from 182 patients with VA and 846 images from 323 patients with normal duodenal mucosa were used for training and internal validation of an AI algorithm (ResNet18). A separate dataset was used for external validation, as well as determination of detection performance of experts, trainees and trainees with AI support. According to the AI consultation distribution, images were stratified into "easy" and "difficult". Results Internal validation showed 82\%, 85\% and 84\% for sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. External validation showed 90\%, 76\% and 84\%. The algorithm was significantly more sensitive and accurate than trainees, trainees with AI support and experts in endoscopy. AI support in trainees was associated with significantly improved performance. While all endoscopists showed significantly lower detection for "difficult" images, AI performance remained stable. Conclusions The algorithm outperformed trainees and experts in sensitivity and accuracy for VA detection. The significant improvement with AI support suggests a potential clinical benefit. Stable performance of the algorithm in "easy" and "difficult" test images may indicate an advantage in macroscopically challenging cases.}, language = {en} } @misc{ScheppachWeberNunesArizietal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Weber Nunes, Danilo and Arizi, X. and Rauber, David and Probst, Andreas and Nagl, Sandra and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Single frame workflow recognition during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) using artificial intelligence (AI)}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {57}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 02}, publisher = {Thieme}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0045-1806324}, pages = {S511}, abstract = {Aims Precise surgical phase recognition and evaluation may improve our understanding of complex endoscopic procedures. Furthermore, quality control measurements and endoscopy training could benefit from objective descriptions of surgical phase distributions. Therefore, we aimed to develop an artificial intelligence algorithm for frame-by-frame operational phase recognition during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Methods Full length ESD-videos from 31 patients comprising 6.297.782 single images were collected retrospectively. Videos were annotated on a frame-by-frame basis for the operational macro-phases diagnostics, marking, injection, dissection and bleeding. Further subphases were the application of electrical current, visible injection of fluid into the submucosal space and scope manipulation, leading to 11 phases in total. 4.975.699 frames (21 patients) were used for training of a video swin transformer using uniform frame sampling for temporal information. Hyperparameter tuning was performed with 897.325 further frames (6 patients), while 424.758 frames (4 patients) were used for validation. Results The overall F1 scores on the test dataset for the macro-phases and all 11 phases were 0.96 and 0.90, respectively. The recall values for diagnostics, marking, injection, dissection and bleeding were 1.00, 1.00, 0.95, 0.96 and 0.93, respectively. Conclusions The algorithm classified operational phases during ESD with high accuracy. A precise evaluation of phase distribution may allow for the development of objective quality metrics for quality control and training.}, language = {en} } @misc{RoserMeinikheimMendeletal., author = {Roser, David and Meinikheim, Michael and Mendel, Robert and Palm, Christoph and Probst, Andreas and Muzalyova, Anna and Scheppach, Markus W. and Nagl, Sandra and Schnoy, Elisabeth and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Schulz, Dominik Andreas Helmut Otto and Schlottmann, Jakob and Prinz, Friederike and Rauber, David and R{\"u}ckert, Tobias and Matsumura, Tomoaki and Fernandez-Esparrach, G. and Parsa, Nasim and Byrne, Michael F. and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Human-Computer Interaction: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the diagnostic confidence of endoscopists assessing videos of Barrett's esophagus}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {56}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 02}, publisher = {Georg Thieme Verlag}, issn = {1438-8812}, doi = {10.1055/s-0044-1782859}, pages = {79}, abstract = {Aims Human-computer interactions (HCI) may have a relevant impact on the performance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Studies show that although endoscopists assessing Barrett's esophagus (BE) with AI improve their performance significantly, they do not achieve the level of the stand-alone performance of AI. One aspect of HCI is the impact of AI on the degree of certainty and confidence displayed by the endoscopist. Indirectly, diagnostic confidence when using AI may be linked to trust and acceptance of AI. In a BE video study, we aimed to understand the impact of AI on the diagnostic confidence of endoscopists and the possible correlation with diagnostic performance. Methods 22 endoscopists from 12 centers with varying levels of BE experience reviewed ninety-six standardized endoscopy videos. Endoscopists were categorized into experts and non-experts and randomly assigned to assess the videos with and without AI. Participants were randomized in two arms: Arm A assessed videos first without AI and then with AI, while Arm B assessed videos in the opposite order. Evaluators were tasked with identifying BE-related neoplasia and rating their confidence with and without AI on a scale from 0 to 9. Results The utilization of AI in Arm A (without AI first, with AI second) significantly elevated confidence levels for experts and non-experts (7.1 to 8.0 and 6.1 to 6.6, respectively). Only non-experts benefitted from AI with a significant increase in accuracy (68.6\% to 75.5\%). Interestingly, while the confidence levels of experts without AI were higher than those of non-experts with AI, there was no significant difference in accuracy between these two groups (71.3\% vs. 75.5\%). In Arm B (with AI first, without AI second), experts and non-experts experienced a significant reduction in confidence (7.6 to 7.1 and 6.4 to 6.2, respectively), while maintaining consistent accuracy levels (71.8\% to 71.8\% and 67.5\% to 67.1\%, respectively). Conclusions AI significantly enhanced confidence levels for both expert and non-expert endoscopists. Endoscopists felt significantly more uncertain in their assessments without AI. Furthermore, experts with or without AI consistently displayed higher confidence levels than non-experts with AI, irrespective of comparable outcomes. These findings underscore the possible role of AI in improving diagnostic confidence during endoscopic assessment.}, language = {en} } @article{DesernoHandelsMaierHeinetal., author = {Deserno, Thomas M. and Handels, Heinz and Maier-Hein, Klaus H. and Mersmann, Sven and Palm, Christoph and Tolxdorff, Thomas and Wagenknecht, Gudrun and Wittenberg, Thomas}, title = {Viewpoints on Medical Image Processing}, series = {Current Medical Imaging Reviews}, volume = {9}, journal = {Current Medical Imaging Reviews}, number = {2}, doi = {10.2174/1573405611309020002}, pages = {79 -- 88}, abstract = {Medical image processing provides core innovation for medical imaging. This paper is focused on recent developments from science to applications analyzing the past fifteen years of history of the proceedings of the German annual meeting on medical image processing (BVM). Furthermore, some members of the program committee present their personal points of views: (i) multi-modality for imaging and diagnosis, (ii) analysis of diffusion-weighted imaging, (iii) model-based image analysis, (iv) registration of section images, (v) from images to information in digital endoscopy, and (vi) virtual reality and robotics. Medical imaging and medical image computing is seen as field of rapid development with clear trends to integrated applications in diagnostics, treatment planning and treatment.}, subject = {Bildgebendes Verfahren}, language = {en} } @article{BeckerMatuschBeckeretal., author = {Becker, Johanna Sabine and Matusch, Andreas and Becker, Julia Susanne and Wu, Bei and Palm, Christoph and Becker, Albert Johann and Salber, Dagmar}, title = {Mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) of metals using advanced BrainMet techniques for biomedical research}, series = {International Journal of Mass Spectrometry}, volume = {307}, journal = {International Journal of Mass Spectrometry}, number = {1-3}, publisher = {eLSEVIER}, address = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijms.2011.01.015}, pages = {3 -- 15}, abstract = {Mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) is a young innovative analytical technique and combines different fields of advanced mass spectrometry and biomedical research with the aim to provide maps of elements and molecules, complexes or fragments. Especially essential metals such as zinc, copper, iron and manganese play a functional role in signaling, metabolism and homeostasis of the cell. Due to the high degree of spatial organization of metals in biological systems their distribution analysis is of key interest in life sciences. We have developed analytical techniques termed BrainMet using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging to measure the distribution of trace metals in biological tissues for biomedical research and feasibility studies—including bioaccumulation and bioavailability studies, ecological risk assessment and toxicity studies in humans and other organisms. The analytical BrainMet techniques provide quantitative images of metal distributions in brain tissue slices which can be combined with other imaging modalities such as photomicrography of native or processed tissue (histochemistry, immunostaining) and autoradiography or with in vivo techniques such as positron emission tomography or magnetic resonance tomography. Prospective and instrumental developments will be discussed concerning the development of the metalloprotein microscopy using a laser microdissection (LMD) apparatus for specific sample introduction into an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LMD-ICP-MS) or an application of the near field effect in LA-ICP-MS (NF-LA-ICP-MS). These nano-scale mass spectrometric techniques provide improved spatial resolution down to the single cell level.}, subject = {Massenspektrometrie}, language = {en} } @article{BeckerMatuschPalmetal., author = {Becker, Johanna Sabine and Matusch, Andreas and Palm, Christoph and Salber, Dagmar and Morton, Kathryn A. and Becker, Julia Susanne}, title = {Bioimaging of metals in brain tissue by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and metallomics}, series = {Metallomics}, journal = {Metallomics}, number = {2}, publisher = {Oxford Academic Press}, doi = {10.1039/b916722f}, pages = {104 -- 111}, abstract = {Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been developed and established as an emerging technique in the generation of quantitative images of metal distributions in thin tissue sections of brain samples (such as human, rat and mouse brain), with applications in research related to neurodegenerative disorders. A new analytical protocol is described which includes sample preparation by cryo-cutting of thin tissue sections and matrix-matched laboratory standards, mass spectrometric measurements, data acquisition, and quantitative analysis. Specific examples of the bioimaging of metal distributions in normal rodent brains are provided. Differences to the normal were assessed in a Parkinson's disease and a stroke brain model. Furthermore, changes during normal aging were studied. Powerful analytical techniques are also required for the determination and characterization of metal-containing proteins within a large pool of proteins, e.g., after denaturing or non-denaturing electrophoretic separation of proteins in one-dimensional and two-dimensional gels. LA-ICP-MS can be employed to detect metalloproteins in protein bands or spots separated after gel electrophoresis. MALDI-MS can then be used to identify specific metal-containing proteins in these bands or spots. The combination of these techniques is described in the second section.}, subject = {ICP-Massenspektrometrie}, language = {en} } @article{OsterholtSalberMatuschetal., author = {Osterholt, Tobias and Salber, Dagmar and Matusch, Andreas and Becker, Johanna Sabine and Palm, Christoph}, title = {IMAGENA: Image Generation and Analysis}, series = {International Journal of Mass Spectrometry}, volume = {307}, journal = {International Journal of Mass Spectrometry}, number = {1-3}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijms.2011.03.010}, pages = {232 -- 239}, abstract = {Metals are involved in many processes of life. They are needed for enzymatic reactions, are involved in healthy processes but also yield diseases if the metal homeostasis is disordered. Therefore, the interest to assess the spatial distribution of metals is rising in biomedical science. Imaging metal (and non-metal) isotopes by laser ablation mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (LA-ICP-MS) requires a special software solution to process raw data obtained by scanning a sample line-by-line. As no software ready to use was available we developed an interactive software tool for Image Generation and Analysis (IMAGENA). Unless optimised for LA-ICP-MS, IMAGENA can handle other raw data as well. The general purpose was to reconstruct images from a continuous list of raw data points, to visualise these images, and to convert them into a commonly readable image file format that can be further analysed by standard image analysis software. The generation of the image starts with loading a text file that holds a data column of every measured isotope. Specifying general spatial domain settings like the data offset and the image dimensions is done by the user getting a direct feedback by means of a preview image. IMAGENA provides tools for calibration and to correct for a signal drift in the y-direction. Images are visualised in greyscale as well a pseudo-colours with possibilities for contrast enhancement. Image analysis is performed in terms of smoothed line plots in row and column direction.}, subject = {ICP-Massenspektrometrie}, language = {en} } @article{DammersAxerGraesseletal., author = {Dammers, J{\"u}rgen and Axer, Markus and Gr{\"a}ßel, David and Palm, Christoph and Zilles, Karl and Amunts, Katrin and Pietrzyk, Uwe}, title = {Signal enhancement in polarized light imaging by means of independent component analysis}, series = {NeuroImage}, volume = {49}, journal = {NeuroImage}, number = {2}, publisher = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.08.059}, pages = {1241 -- 1248}, abstract = {Polarized light imaging (PLI) enables the evaluation of fiber orientations in histological sections of human postmortem brains, with ultra-high spatial resolution. PLI is based on the birefringent properties of the myelin sheath of nerve fibers. As a result, the polarization state of light propagating through a rotating polarimeter is changed in such a way that the detected signal at each measurement unit of a charged-coupled device (CCD) camera describes a sinusoidal signal. Vectors of the fiber orientation defined by inclination and direction angles can then directly be derived from the optical signals employing PLI analysis. However, noise, light scatter and filter inhomogeneities interfere with the original sinusoidal PLI signals. We here introduce a novel method using independent component analysis (ICA) to decompose the PLI images into statistically independent component maps. After decomposition, gray and white matter structures can clearly be distinguished from noise and other artifacts. The signal enhancement after artifact rejection is quantitatively evaluated in 134 histological whole brain sections. Thus, the primary sinusoidal signals from polarized light imaging can be effectively restored after noise and artifact rejection utilizing ICA. Our method therefore contributes to the analysis of nerve fiber orientation in the human brain within a micrometer scale.}, subject = {Bildgebendes Verfahren}, language = {en} } @article{PalmAxerGraesseletal., author = {Palm, Christoph and Axer, Markus and Gr{\"a}ßel, David and Dammers, J{\"u}rgen and Lindemeyer, Johannes and Zilles, Karl and Pietrzyk, Uwe and Amunts, Katrin}, title = {Towards ultra-high resolution fibre tract mapping of the human brain}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, doi = {10.3389/neuro.09.009.2010}, pages = {9}, abstract = {Polarised light imaging (PLI) utilises the birefringence of the myelin sheaths in order to visualise the orientation of nerve fibres in microtome sections of adult human post-mortem brains at ultra-high spatial resolution. The preparation of post-mortem brains for PLI involves fixation, freezing and cutting into 100-μm-thick sections. Hence, geometrical distortions of histological sections are inevitable and have to be removed for 3D reconstruction and subsequent fibre tracking. We here present a processing pipeline for 3D reconstruction of these sections using PLI derived multimodal images of post-mortem brains. Blockface images of the brains were obtained during cutting; they serve as reference data for alignment and elimination of distortion artefacts. In addition to the spatial image transformation, fibre orientation vectors were reoriented using the transformation fields, which consider both affine and subsequent non-linear registration. The application of this registration and reorientation approach results in a smooth fibre vector field, which reflects brain morphology. PLI combined with 3D reconstruction and fibre tracking is a powerful tool for human brain mapping. It can also serve as an independent method for evaluating in vivo fibre tractography.}, subject = {Bildgebendes Verfahren}, language = {en} } @article{AxerAmuntsGraesseletal., author = {Axer, Markus and Amunts, Katrin and Gr{\"a}ßel, David and Palm, Christoph and Dammers, J{\"u}rgen and Axer, Hubertus and Pietrzyk, Uwe and Zilles, Karl}, title = {Novel Approach to the Human Connectome}, series = {NeuroImage}, volume = {54}, journal = {NeuroImage}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.08.075}, pages = {1091 -- 1101}, abstract = {Signal transmission between different brain regions requires connecting fiber tracts, the structural basis of the human connectome. In contrast to animal brains, where a multitude of tract tracing methods can be used, magnetic resonance (MR)-based diffusion imaging is presently the only promising approach to study fiber tracts between specific human brain regions. However, this procedure has various inherent restrictions caused by its relatively low spatial resolution. Here, we introduce 3D-polarized light imaging (3D-PLI) to map the three-dimensional course of fiber tracts in the human brain with a resolution at a submillimeter scale based on a voxel size of 100 μm isotropic or less. 3D-PLI demonstrates nerve fibers by utilizing their intrinsic birefringence of myelin sheaths surrounding axons. This optical method enables the demonstration of 3D fiber orientations in serial microtome sections of entire human brains. Examples for the feasibility of this novel approach are given here. 3D-PLI enables the study of brain regions of intense fiber crossing in unprecedented detail, and provides an independent evaluation of fiber tracts derived from diffusion imaging data.}, subject = {Bildgebendes Verfahren}, language = {en} } @misc{GraesselAxerPalmetal., author = {Gr{\"a}ßel, David and Axer, Markus and Palm, Christoph and Dammers, J{\"u}rgen and Amunts, Katrin and Pietrzyk, Uwe and Zilles, Karl}, title = {Visualization of Fiber Tracts in the Postmortem Human Brain by Means of Polarized Light}, series = {NeuroImage}, volume = {47}, journal = {NeuroImage}, number = {Suppl. 1}, doi = {10.1016/S1053-8119(09)71415-6}, pages = {142}, subject = {Gehirn}, language = {en} } @article{SouzaJrMendelStrasseretal., author = {Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Mendel, Robert and Strasser, Sophia and Ebigbo, Alanna and Probst, Andreas and Messmann, Helmut and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Convolutional Neural Networks for the evaluation of cancer in Barrett's esophagus: Explainable AI to lighten up the black-box}, series = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, volume = {135}, journal = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {0010-4825}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104578}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-20126}, pages = {1 -- 14}, abstract = {Even though artificial intelligence and machine learning have demonstrated remarkable performances in medical image computing, their level of accountability and transparency must be provided in such evaluations. The reliability related to machine learning predictions must be explained and interpreted, especially if diagnosis support is addressed. For this task, the black-box nature of deep learning techniques must be lightened up to transfer its promising results into clinical practice. Hence, we aim to investigate the use of explainable artificial intelligence techniques to quantitatively highlight discriminative regions during the classification of earlycancerous tissues in Barrett's esophagus-diagnosed patients. Four Convolutional Neural Network models (AlexNet, SqueezeNet, ResNet50, and VGG16) were analyzed using five different interpretation techniques (saliency, guided backpropagation, integrated gradients, input × gradients, and DeepLIFT) to compare their agreement with experts' previous annotations of cancerous tissue. We could show that saliency attributes match best with the manual experts' delineations. Moreover, there is moderate to high correlation between the sensitivity of a model and the human-and-computer agreement. The results also lightened that the higher the model's sensitivity, the stronger the correlation of human and computational segmentation agreement. We observed a relevant relation between computational learning and experts' insights, demonstrating how human knowledge may influence the correct computational learning.}, subject = {Deep Learning}, language = {en} } @article{BrownConsortiumZhouetal., author = {Brown, Peter and Consortium, RELISH and Zhou, Yaoqi and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Large expert-curated database for benchmarking document similarity detection in biomedical literature search}, series = {Database}, volume = {2019}, journal = {Database}, publisher = {Oxford University Pres}, doi = {10.1093/database/baz085}, pages = {1 -- 66}, abstract = {Document recommendation systems for locating relevant literature have mostly relied on methods developed a decade ago. This is largely due to the lack of a large offline gold-standard benchmark of relevant documents that cover a variety of research fields such that newly developed literature search techniques can be compared, improved and translated into practice. To overcome this bottleneck, we have established the RElevant LIterature SearcH consortium consisting of more than 1500 scientists from 84 countries, who have collectively annotated the relevance of over 180 000 PubMed-listed articles with regard to their respective seed (input) article/s. The majority of annotations were contributed by highly experienced, original authors of the seed articles. The collected data cover 76\% of all unique PubMed Medical Subject Headings descriptors. No systematic biases were observed across different experience levels, research fields or time spent on annotations. More importantly, annotations of the same document pairs contributed by different scientists were highly concordant. We further show that the three representative baseline methods used to generate recommended articles for evaluation (Okapi Best Matching 25, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency and PubMed Related Articles) had similar overall performances. Additionally, we found that these methods each tend to produce distinct collections of recommended articles, suggesting that a hybrid method may be required to completely capture all relevant articles. The established database server located at https://relishdb.ict.griffith.edu.au is freely available for the downloading of annotation data and the blind testing of new methods. We expect that this benchmark will be useful for stimulating the development of new powerful techniques for title and title/abstract-based search engines for relevant articles in biomedical research.}, subject = {Information Retrieval}, language = {en} } @misc{EbigboMendelProbstetal., author = {Ebigbo, Alanna and Mendel, Robert and Probst, Andreas and Manzeneder, Johannes and Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut}, title = {Artificial Intelligence in Early Barrett's Cancer: The Segmentation Task}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {51}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {04}, publisher = {Georg Thieme Verlag}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0039-1681187}, pages = {6}, abstract = {Aims: The delineation of outer margins of early Barrett's cancer can be challenging even for experienced endoscopists. Artificial intelligence (AI) could assist endoscopists faced with this task. As of date, there is very limited experience in this domain. In this study, we demonstrate the measure of overlap (Dice coefficient = D) between highly experienced Barrett endoscopists and an AI system in the delineation of cancer margins (segmentation task). Methods: An AI system with a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained and tested on high-definition endoscopic images of early Barrett's cancer (n = 33) and normal Barrett's mucosa (n = 41). The reference standard for the segmentation task were the manual delineations of tumor margins by three highly experienced Barrett endoscopists. Training of the AI system included patch generation, patch augmentation and adjustment of the CNN weights. Then, the segmentation results from patch classification and thresholding of the class probabilities. Segmentation results were evaluated using the Dice coefficient (D). Results: The Dice coefficient (D) which can range between 0 (no overlap) and 1 (complete overlap) was computed only for images correctly classified by the AI-system as cancerous. At a threshold of t = 0.5, a mean value of D = 0.72 was computed. Conclusions: AI with CNN performed reasonably well in the segmentation of the tumor region in Barrett's cancer, at least when compared with expert Barrett's endoscopists. AI holds a lot of promise as a tool for better visualization of tumor margins but may need further improvement and enhancement especially in real-time settings.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrankheit}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{ChangLinLeeetal., author = {Chang, Ching-Sheng and Lin, Jin-Fa and Lee, Ming-Ching and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Semantic Lung Segmentation Using Convolutional Neural Networks}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2020. Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen. Proceedings des Workshops vom 15. bis 17. M{\"a}rz 2020 in Berlin}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2020. Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen. Proceedings des Workshops vom 15. bis 17. M{\"a}rz 2020 in Berlin}, editor = {Tolxdorff, Thomas and Deserno, Thomas M. and Handels, Heinz and Maier, Andreas and Maier-Hein, Klaus H. and Palm, Christoph}, publisher = {Springer Vieweg}, address = {Wiesbaden}, isbn = {978-3-658-29266-9}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-29267-6_17}, pages = {75 -- 80}, abstract = {Chest X-Ray (CXR) images as part of a non-invasive diagnosis method are commonly used in today's medical workflow. In traditional methods, physicians usually use their experience to interpret CXR images, however, there is a large interobserver variance. Computer vision may be used as a standard for assisted diagnosis. In this study, we applied an encoder-decoder neural network architecture for automatic lung region detection. We compared a three-class approach (left lung, right lung, background) and a two-class approach (lung, background). The differentiation of left and right lungs as direct result of a semantic segmentation on basis of neural nets rather than post-processing a lung-background segmentation is done here for the first time. Our evaluation was done on the NIH Chest X-ray dataset, from which 1736 images were extracted and manually annotated. We achieved 94:9\% mIoU and 92\% mIoU as segmentation quality measures for the two-class-model and the three-class-model, respectively. This result is very promising for the segmentation of lung regions having the simultaneous classification of left and right lung in mind.}, subject = {Neuronales Netz}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{MiddelPalmErdt, author = {Middel, Luise and Palm, Christoph and Erdt, Marius}, title = {Synthesis of Medical Images Using GANs}, series = {Uncertainty for safe utilization of machine learning in medical imaging and clinical image-based procedures. First International Workshop, UNSURE 2019, and 8th International Workshop, CLIP 2019, held in conjunction with MICCAI 2019, Shenzhen, China, October 17, 2019}, booktitle = {Uncertainty for safe utilization of machine learning in medical imaging and clinical image-based procedures. First International Workshop, UNSURE 2019, and 8th International Workshop, CLIP 2019, held in conjunction with MICCAI 2019, Shenzhen, China, October 17, 2019}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, address = {Cham}, isbn = {978-3-030-32688-3}, issn = {0302-9743}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-32689-0_13}, pages = {125 -- 134}, abstract = {The success of artificial intelligence in medicine is based on the need for large amounts of high quality training data. Sharing of medical image data, however, is often restricted by laws such as doctor-patient confidentiality. Although there are publicly available medical datasets, their quality and quantity are often low. Moreover, datasets are often imbalanced and only represent a fraction of the images generated in hospitals or clinics and can thus usually only be used as training data for specific problems. The introduction of generative adversarial networks (GANs) provides a mean to generate artificial images by training two convolutional networks. This paper proposes a method which uses GANs trained on medical images in order to generate a large number of artificial images that could be used to train other artificial intelligence algorithms. This work is a first step towards alleviating data privacy concerns and being able to publicly share data that still contains a substantial amount of the information in the original private data. The method has been evaluated on several public datasets and quantitative and qualitative tests showing promising results.}, subject = {Neuronale Netze}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{WeihererZornWittenbergetal., author = {Weiherer, Maximilian and Zorn, Martin and Wittenberg, Thomas and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Retrospective Color Shading Correction for Endoscopic Images}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2020. Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen. Proceedings des Workshops vom 15. bis 17. M{\"a}rz 2020 in Berlin}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2020. Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen. Proceedings des Workshops vom 15. bis 17. M{\"a}rz 2020 in Berlin}, editor = {Tolxdorff, Thomas and Deserno, Thomas M. and Handels, Heinz and Maier, Andreas and Maier-Hein, Klaus H. and Palm, Christoph}, publisher = {Springer Vieweg}, address = {Wiesbaden}, isbn = {978-3-658-29266-9}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-29267-6}, pages = {14 -- 19}, abstract = {In this paper, we address the problem of retrospective color shading correction. An extension of the established gray-level shading correction algorithm based on signal envelope (SE) estimation to color images is developed using principal color components. Compared to the probably most general shading correction algorithm based on entropy minimization, SE estimation does not need any computationally expensive optimization and thus can be implemented more effciently. We tested our new shading correction scheme on artificial as well as real endoscopic images and observed promising results. Additionally, an indepth analysis of the stop criterion used in the SE estimation algorithm is provided leading to the conclusion that a fixed, user-defined threshold is generally not feasible. Thus, we present new ideas how to develop a non-parametric version of the SE estimation algorithm using entropy.}, subject = {Endoskopie}, language = {en} } @article{EbigboMendelProbstetal., author = {Ebigbo, Alanna and Mendel, Robert and Probst, Andreas and Manzeneder, Johannes and Prinz, Friederike and Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut}, title = {Real-time use of artificial intelligence in the evaluation of cancer in Barrett's oesophagus}, series = {Gut}, volume = {69}, journal = {Gut}, number = {4}, publisher = {BMJ}, address = {London}, doi = {10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319460}, pages = {615 -- 616}, abstract = {Based on previous work by our group with manual annotation of visible Barrett oesophagus (BE) cancer images, a real-time deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) system was developed. While an expert endoscopist conducts the endoscopic assessment of BE, our AI system captures random images from the real-time camera livestream and provides a global prediction (classification), as well as a dense prediction (segmentation) differentiating accurately between normal BE and early oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). The AI system showed an accuracy of 89.9\% on 14 cases with neoplastic BE.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrankheit}, language = {en} } @article{ArribasAntonelliFrazzonietal., author = {Arribas, Julia and Antonelli, Giulio and Frazzoni, Leonardo and Fuccio, Lorenzo and Ebigbo, Alanna and van der Sommen, Fons and Ghatwary, Noha and Palm, Christoph and Coimbra, Miguel and Renna, Francesco and Bergman, Jacques J.G.H.M. and Sharma, Prateek and Messmann, Helmut and Hassan, Cesare and Dinis-Ribeiro, Mario J.}, title = {Standalone performance of artificial intelligence for upper GI neoplasia: a meta-analysis}, series = {Gut}, volume = {70}, journal = {Gut}, number = {8}, publisher = {BMJ}, address = {London}, doi = {10.1136/gutjnl-2020-321922}, pages = {1458 -- 1468}, abstract = {Objective: Artificial intelligence (AI) may reduce underdiagnosed or overlooked upper GI (UGI) neoplastic and preneoplastic conditions, due to subtle appearance and low disease prevalence. Only disease-specific AI performances have been reported, generating uncertainty on its clinical value. Design: We searched PubMed, Embase and Scopus until July 2020, for studies on the diagnostic performance of AI in detection and characterisation of UGI lesions. Primary outcomes were pooled diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of AI. Secondary outcomes were pooled positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values. We calculated pooled proportion rates (\%), designed summary receiving operating characteristic curves with respective area under the curves (AUCs) and performed metaregression and sensitivity analysis. Results: Overall, 19 studies on detection of oesophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN) or Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia (BERN) or gastric adenocarcinoma (GCA) were included with 218, 445, 453 patients and 7976, 2340, 13 562 images, respectively. AI-sensitivity/specificity/PPV/NPV/positive likelihood ratio/negative likelihood ratio for UGI neoplasia detection were 90\% (CI 85\% to 94\%)/89\% (CI 85\% to 92\%)/87\% (CI 83\% to 91\%)/91\% (CI 87\% to 94\%)/8.2 (CI 5.7 to 11.7)/0.111 (CI 0.071 to 0.175), respectively, with an overall AUC of 0.95 (CI 0.93 to 0.97). No difference in AI performance across ESCN, BERN and GCA was found, AUC being 0.94 (CI 0.52 to 0.99), 0.96 (CI 0.95 to 0.98), 0.93 (CI 0.83 to 0.99), respectively. Overall, study quality was low, with high risk of selection bias. No significant publication bias was found. Conclusion: We found a high overall AI accuracy for the diagnosis of any neoplastic lesion of the UGI tract that was independent of the underlying condition. This may be expected to substantially reduce the miss rate of precancerous lesions and early cancer when implemented in clinical practice.}, language = {en} } @article{EbigboMendelRueckertetal., author = {Ebigbo, Alanna and Mendel, Robert and R{\"u}ckert, Tobias and Schuster, Laurin and Probst, Andreas and Manzeneder, Johannes and Prinz, Friederike and Mende, Matthias and Steinbr{\"u}ck, Ingo and Faiss, Siegbert and Rauber, David and Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo and Deprez, Pierre and Oyama, Tsuneo and Takahashi, Akiko and Seewald, Stefan and Sharma, Prateek and Byrne, Michael F. and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut}, title = {Endoscopic prediction of submucosal invasion in Barrett's cancer with the use of Artificial Intelligence: A pilot Study}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {53}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {09}, publisher = {Thieme}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/a-1311-8570}, pages = {878 -- 883}, abstract = {Background and aims: The accurate differentiation between T1a and T1b Barrett's cancer has both therapeutic and prognostic implications but is challenging even for experienced physicians. We trained an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system on the basis of deep artificial neural networks (deep learning) to differentiate between T1a and T1b Barrett's cancer white-light images. Methods: Endoscopic images from three tertiary care centres in Germany were collected retrospectively. A deep learning system was trained and tested using the principles of cross-validation. A total of 230 white-light endoscopic images (108 T1a and 122 T1b) was evaluated with the AI-system. For comparison, the images were also classified by experts specialized in endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of Barrett's cancer. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, F1 and accuracy of the AI-system in the differentiation between T1a and T1b cancer lesions was 0.77, 0.64, 0.73 and 0.71, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the performance of the AI-system and that of human experts with sensitivity, specificity, F1 and accuracy of 0.63, 0.78, 0.67 and 0.70 respectively. Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates the first multicenter application of an AI-based system in the prediction of submucosal invasion in endoscopic images of Barrett's cancer. AI scored equal to international experts in the field, but more work is necessary to improve the system and apply it to video sequences and in a real-life setting. Nevertheless, the correct prediction of submucosal invasion in Barret´s cancer remains challenging for both experts and AI.}, subject = {Maschinelles Lernen}, language = {en} } @article{MendelRauberSouzaJretal., author = {Mendel, Robert and Rauber, David and Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Error-Correcting Mean-Teacher: Corrections instead of consistency-targets applied to semi-supervised medical image segmentation}, series = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, volume = {154}, journal = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, number = {March}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {0010-4825}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106585}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-57790}, pages = {13}, abstract = {Semantic segmentation is an essential task in medical imaging research. Many powerful deep-learning-based approaches can be employed for this problem, but they are dependent on the availability of an expansive labeled dataset. In this work, we augment such supervised segmentation models to be suitable for learning from unlabeled data. Our semi-supervised approach, termed Error-Correcting Mean-Teacher, uses an exponential moving average model like the original Mean Teacher but introduces our new paradigm of error correction. The original segmentation network is augmented to handle this secondary correction task. Both tasks build upon the core feature extraction layers of the model. For the correction task, features detected in the input image are fused with features detected in the predicted segmentation and further processed with task-specific decoder layers. The combination of image and segmentation features allows the model to correct present mistakes in the given input pair. The correction task is trained jointly on the labeled data. On unlabeled data, the exponential moving average of the original network corrects the student's prediction. The combined outputs of the students' prediction with the teachers' correction form the basis for the semi-supervised update. We evaluate our method with the 2017 and 2018 Robotic Scene Segmentation data, the ISIC 2017 and the BraTS 2020 Challenges, a proprietary Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection dataset, Cityscapes, and Pascal VOC 2012. Additionally, we analyze the impact of the individual components and examine the behavior when the amount of labeled data varies, with experiments performed on two distinct segmentation architectures. Our method shows improvements in terms of the mean Intersection over Union over the supervised baseline and competing methods. Code is available at https://github.com/CloneRob/ECMT.}, language = {en} } @article{MaierDesernoHandelsetal., author = {Maier, Andreas and Deserno, Thomas M. and Handels, Heinz and Maier-Hein, Klaus H. and Palm, Christoph and Tolxdorff, Thomas}, title = {IJCARS: BVM 2021 special issue}, series = {International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery}, volume = {16}, journal = {International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery}, publisher = {Springer}, doi = {10.1007/s11548-021-02534-7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-21666}, pages = {2067 -- 2068}, abstract = {The German workshop on medical image computing (BVM) has been held in different locations in Germany for more than 20 years. In terms of content, BVM focused on the computer-aided analysis of medical image data with a wide range of applications, e.g. in the area of imaging, diagnostics, operation planning, computer-aided intervention and visualization. During this time, there have been remarkable methodological developments and upheavals, on which the BVM community has worked intensively. The area of machine learning should be emphasized, which has led to significant improvements, especially for tasks of classification and segmentation, but increasingly also in image formation and registration. As a result, work in connection with deep learning now dominates the BVM. These developments have also contributed to the establishment of medical image processing at the interface between computer science and medicine as one of the key technologies for the digitization of the health system. In addition to the presentation of current research results, a central aspect of the BVM is primarily the promotion of young scientists from the diverse BVM community, covering not only Germany but also Austria, Switzerland, The Netherland and other European neighbors. The conference serves primarily doctoral students and postdocs, but also students with excellent bachelor and master theses as a platform to present their work, to enter into professional discourse with the community, and to establish networks with specialist colleagues. Despite the many conferences and congresses that are also relevant for medical image processing, the BVM has therefore lost none of its importance and attractiveness and has retained its permanent place in the annual conference rhythm. Building on this foundation, there are some innovations and changes this year. The BVM 2021 was organized for the first time at the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg (OTH Regensburg, a technical university of applied sciences). After Aachen, Berlin, Erlangen, Freiburg, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Leipzig, L{\"u}beck, and Munich, Regensburg is not just a new venue. OTH Regensburg is the first representative of the universities of applied sciences (HAW) to organize the conference, which differs to universities, university hospitals, or research centers like Fraunhofer or Helmholtz. This also considers the further development of the research landscape in Germany, where HAWs increasingly contribute to applied research in addition to their focus on teaching. This development is also reflected in the contributions submitted to the BVM in recent years. At BVM 2021, which was held in a virtual format for the first time due to the Corona pandemic, an attractive and high-quality program was offered. Fortunately, the number of submissions increased significantly. Out of 97 submissions, 26 presentations, 51 posters and 5 software demonstrations were accepted via an anonymized reviewing process with three reviews each. The three best works have been awarded BVM prizes, selected by a separate committee. Based on these high-quality submissions, we are able to present another special issue in the International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (IJCARS). Out of the 97 submissions, the ones with the highest scores have been invited to submit an extended version of their paper to be presented in IJCARS. As a result, we are now able to present this special issue with seven excellent articles. Many submissions focus on machine learning in a medical context.}, subject = {Bildgebendes Verfahren}, language = {en} } @article{HartmannWeihererSchiltzetal., author = {Hartmann, Robin and Weiherer, Maximilian and Schiltz, Daniel and Seitz, Stephan and Lotter, Luisa and Anker, Alexandra and Palm, Christoph and Prantl, Lukas and Br{\´e}bant, Vanessa}, title = {A Novel Method of Outcome Assessment in Breast Reconstruction Surgery: Comparison of Autologous and Alloplastic Techniques Using Three-Dimensional Surface Imaging}, series = {Aesthetic Plastic Surgery}, volume = {44}, journal = {Aesthetic Plastic Surgery}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, doi = {10.1007/s00266-020-01749-4}, pages = {1980 -- 1987}, abstract = {Background Breast reconstruction is an important coping tool for patients undergoing a mastectomy. There are numerous surgical techniques in breast reconstruction surgery (BRS). Regardless of the technique used, creating a symmetric outcome is crucial for patients and plastic surgeons. Three-dimensional surface imaging enables surgeons and patients to assess the outcome's symmetry in BRS. To discriminate between autologous and alloplastic techniques, we analyzed both techniques using objective optical computerized symmetry analysis. Software was developed that enables clinicians to assess optical breast symmetry using three-dimensional surface imaging. Methods Twenty-seven patients who had undergone autologous (n = 12) or alloplastic (n = 15) BRS received three-dimensional surface imaging. Anthropomorphic data were collected digitally using semiautomatic measurements and automatic measurements. Automatic measurements were taken using the newly developed software. To quantify symmetry, a Symmetry Index is proposed. Results Statistical analysis revealed that there is no dif- ference in the outcome symmetry between the two groups (t test for independent samples; p = 0.48, two-tailed). Conclusion This study's findings provide a foundation for qualitative symmetry assessment in BRS using automatized digital anthropometry. In the present trial, no difference in the outcomes' optical symmetry was detected between autologous and alloplastic approaches.}, subject = {Mammoplastik}, language = {en} } @article{HartmannWeihererSchiltzetal., author = {Hartmann, Robin and Weiherer, Maximilian and Schiltz, Daniel and Baringer, Magnus and Noisser, Vivien and H{\"o}sl, Vanessa and Eigenberger, Andreas and Seitz, Stefan and Palm, Christoph and Prantl, Lukas and Br{\´e}bant, Vanessa}, title = {New aspects in digital breast assessment: further refinement of a method for automated digital anthropometry}, series = {Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics}, volume = {303}, journal = {Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1432-0711}, doi = {10.1007/s00404-020-05862-2}, pages = {721 -- 728}, abstract = {Purpose: In this trial, we used a previously developed prototype software to assess aesthetic results after reconstructive surgery for congenital breast asymmetry using automated anthropometry. To prove the consensus between the manual and automatic digital measurements, we evaluated the software by comparing the manual and automatic measurements of 46 breasts. Methods: Twenty-three patients who underwent reconstructive surgery for congenital breast asymmetry at our institution were examined and underwent 3D surface imaging. Per patient, 14 manual and 14 computer-based anthropometric measurements were obtained according to a standardized protocol. Manual and automatic measurements, as well as the previously proposed Symmetry Index (SI), were compared. Results: The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed no significant differences in six of the seven measurements between the automatic and manual assessments. The SI showed robust agreement between the automatic and manual methods. Conclusion: The present trial validates our method for digital anthropometry. Despite the discrepancy in one measurement, all remaining measurements, including the SI, showed high agreement between the manual and automatic methods. The proposed data bring us one step closer to the long-term goal of establishing robust instruments to evaluate the results of breast surgery.}, language = {en} } @article{HartmannWeihererNieberleetal., author = {Hartmann, Robin and Weiherer, Maximilian and Nieberle, Felix and Palm, Christoph and Br{\´e}bant, Vanessa and Prantl, Lukas and Lamby, Philipp and Reichert, Torsten E. and Taxis, J{\"u}rgen and Ettl, Tobias}, title = {Evaluating smartphone-based 3D imaging techniques for clinical application in oral and maxillofacial surgery: A comparative study with the vectra M5}, series = {Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery}, volume = {29}, journal = {Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, doi = {10.1007/s10006-024-01322-2}, pages = {17}, abstract = {PURPOSE This study aimed to clarify the applicability of smartphone-based three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging for clinical use in oral and maxillofacial surgery, comparing two smartphone-based approaches to the gold standard. METHODS Facial surface models (SMs) were generated for 30 volunteers (15 men, 15 women) using the Vectra M5 (Canfield Scientific, USA), the TrueDepth camera of the iPhone 14 Pro (Apple Inc., USA), and the iPhone 14 Pro with photogrammetry. Smartphone-based SMs were superimposed onto Vectra-based SMs. Linear measurements and volumetric evaluations were performed to evaluate surface-to-surface deviation. To assess inter-observer reliability, all measurements were performed independently by a second observer. Statistical analyses included Bland-Altman analyses, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired samples, and Intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS Photogrammetry-based SMs exhibited an overall landmark-to-landmark deviation of M = 0.8 mm (SD =  ± 0.58 mm, n = 450), while TrueDepth-based SMs displayed a deviation of M = 1.1 mm (SD =  ± 0.72 mm, n = 450). The mean volumetric difference for photogrammetry-based SMs was M = 1.8 cc (SD =  ± 2.12 cc, n = 90), and M = 3.1 cc (SD =  ± 2.64 cc, n = 90) for TrueDepth-based SMs. When comparing the two approaches, most landmark-to-landmark measurements demonstrated 95\% Bland-Altman limits of agreement (LoA) of ≤ 2 mm. Volumetric measurements revealed LoA > 2 cc. Photogrammetry-based measurements demonstrated higher inter-observer reliability for overall landmark-to-landmark deviation. CONCLUSION Both approaches for smartphone-based 3D surface imaging exhibit potential in capturing the face. Photogrammetry-based SMs demonstrated superior alignment and volumetric accuracy with Vectra-based SMs than TrueDepth-based SMs.}, language = {en} } @article{MaierPerretSimonetal., author = {Maier, Johannes and Perret, Jerome and Simon, Martina and Schmitt-R{\"u}th, Stephanie and Wittenberg, Thomas and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Force-feedback assisted and virtual fixtures based K-wire drilling simulation}, series = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, volume = {114}, journal = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, publisher = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2019.103473}, pages = {1 -- 10}, abstract = {One common method to fix fractures of the human hand after an accident is an osteosynthesis with Kirschner wires (K-wires) to stabilize the bone fragments. The insertion of K-wires is a delicate minimally invasive surgery, because surgeons operate almost without a sight. Since realistic training methods are time consuming, costly and insufficient, a virtual-reality (VR) based training system for the placement of K-wires was developed. As part of this, the current work deals with the real-time bone drilling simulation using a haptic force-feedback device. To simulate the drilling, we introduce a virtual fixture based force-feedback drilling approach. By decomposition of the drilling task into individual phases, each phase can be handled individually to perfectly control the drilling procedure. We report about the related finite state machine (FSM), describe the haptic feedback of each state and explain, how to avoid jerking of the haptic force-feedback during state transition. The usage of the virtual fixture approach results in a good haptic performance and a stable drilling behavior. This was confirmed by 26 expert surgeons, who evaluated the virtual drilling on the simulator and rated it as very realistic. To make the system even more convincing, we determined real drilling feed rates through experimental pig bone drilling and transferred them to our system. Due to a constant simulation thread we can guarantee a precise drilling motion. Virtual fixtures based force-feedback calculation is able to simulate force-feedback assisted bone drilling with high quality and, thus, will have a great potential in developing medical applications.}, subject = {Handchirurgie}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SouzaPachecodeAngeloetal., author = {Souza, Luis A. and Pacheco, Andr{\´e} G.C. and de Angelo, Gabriel G. and Oliveira-Santos, Thiago and Palm, Christoph and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo}, title = {LiwTERM: A Lightweight Transformer-Based Model for Dermatological Multimodal Lesion Detection}, series = {2024 37th SIBGRAPI Conference on Graphics, Patterns and Images (SIBGRAPI), Manaus, Brazil, 9/30/2024 - 10/3/2024}, booktitle = {2024 37th SIBGRAPI Conference on Graphics, Patterns and Images (SIBGRAPI), Manaus, Brazil, 9/30/2024 - 10/3/2024}, publisher = {IEEE}, isbn = {979-8-3503-7603-6}, doi = {10.1109/SIBGRAPI62404.2024.10716324}, pages = {1 -- 6}, abstract = {Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the world, accounting for approximately 30\% of all diagnosed tumors. Early diagnosis reduces mortality rates and prevents disfiguring effects in different body regions. In recent years, machine learning techniques, particularly deep learning, have shown promising results in this task, presenting studies that have demonstrated that combining a patient's clinical information with images of the lesion is crucial for improving the classification of skin lesions. Despite that, meaningful use of clinical information with multiple images is mandatory, requiring further investigation. Thus, this project aims to contribute to developing multimodal machine learning-based models to cope with the skin lesion classification task employing a lightweight transformer model. As a main hypothesis, models can take multiple images from different sources as input, along with clinical information from the patient's history, leading to a more reliable diagnosis. Our model deals with the not-trivial task of combining images and clinical information (from anamneses) concerning the skin lesions in a lightweight transformer architecture that does not demand high computation resources but still presents competitive classification results.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SouzaJrPassosMendeletal., author = {Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Passos, Leandro A. and Mendel, Robert and Ebigbo, Alanna and Probst, Andreas and Messmann, Helmut and Palm, Christoph and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo}, title = {Fine-tuning Generative Adversarial Networks using Metaheuristics}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2021. Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, Regensburg, March 7-9, 2021}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2021. Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, Regensburg, March 7-9, 2021}, publisher = {Springer Vieweg}, address = {Wiesbaden}, isbn = {978-3-658-33197-9}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-33198-6_50}, pages = {205 -- 210}, abstract = {Barrett's esophagus denotes a disorder in the digestive system that affects the esophagus' mucosal cells, causing reflux, and showing potential convergence to esophageal adenocarcinoma if not treated in initial stages. Thus, fast and reliable computer-aided diagnosis becomes considerably welcome. Nevertheless, such approaches usually suffer from imbalanced datasets, which can be addressed through Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). Such techniques generate realistic images based on observed samples, even though at the cost of a proper selection of its hyperparameters. Many works employed a class of nature-inspired algorithms called metaheuristics to tackle the problem considering distinct deep learning approaches. Therefore, this paper's main contribution is to introduce metaheuristic techniques to fine-tune GANs in the context of Barrett's esophagus identification, as well as to investigate the feasibility of generating high-quality synthetic images for early-cancer assisted identification.}, subject = {Endoskopie}, language = {en} } @article{RoemmeleMendelBarrettetal., author = {R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Mendel, Robert and Barrett, Caroline and Kiesl, Hans and Rauber, David and R{\"u}ckert, Tobias and Kraus, Lisa and Heinkele, Jakob and Dhillon, Christine and Grosser, Bianca and Prinz, Friederike and Wanzl, Julia and Fleischmann, Carola and Nagl, Sandra and Schnoy, Elisabeth and Schlottmann, Jakob and Dellon, Evan S. and Messmann, Helmut and Palm, Christoph and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {An artificial intelligence algorithm is highly accurate for detecting endoscopic features of eosinophilic esophagitis}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {12}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, publisher = {Nature Portfolio}, address = {London}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-022-14605-z}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-46928}, pages = {10}, abstract = {The endoscopic features associated with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) may be missed during routine endoscopy. We aimed to develop and evaluate an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm for detecting and quantifying the endoscopic features of EoE in white light images, supplemented by the EoE Endoscopic Reference Score (EREFS). An AI algorithm (AI-EoE) was constructed and trained to differentiate between EoE and normal esophagus using endoscopic white light images extracted from the database of the University Hospital Augsburg. In addition to binary classification, a second algorithm was trained with specific auxiliary branches for each EREFS feature (AI-EoE-EREFS). The AI algorithms were evaluated on an external data set from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC), and compared with the performance of human endoscopists with varying levels of experience. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of AI-EoE were 0.93 for all measures, while the AUC was 0.986. With additional auxiliary branches for the EREFS categories, the AI algorithm (AI-EoEEREFS) performance improved to 0.96, 0.94, 0.95, and 0.992 for sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC, respectively. AI-EoE and AI-EoE-EREFS performed significantly better than endoscopy beginners and senior fellows on the same set of images. An AI algorithm can be trained to detect and quantify endoscopic features of EoE with excellent performance scores. The addition of the EREFS criteria improved the performance of the AI algorithm, which performed significantly better than endoscopists with a lower or medium experience level.}, language = {en} } @article{RoserMeinikheimMuzalyovaetal., author = {Roser, David and Meinikheim, Michael and Muzalyova, Anna and Mendel, Robert and Palm, Christoph and Probst, Andreas and Nagl, Sandra and Scheppach, Markus W. and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Schnoy, Elisabeth and Parsa, Nasim and Byrne, Michael F. and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Artificial intelligence-assisted endoscopy and examiner confidence : a study on human-artificial intelligence interaction in Barrett's Esophagus (With Video)}, series = {DEN Open}, volume = {6}, journal = {DEN Open}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley}, doi = {10.1002/deo2.70150}, pages = {8}, abstract = {Objective Despite high stand-alone performance, studies demonstrate that artificial intelligence (AI)-supported endoscopic diagnostics often fall short in clinical applications due to human-AI interaction factors. This video-based trial on Barrett's esophagus aimed to investigate how examiner behavior, their levels of confidence, and system usability influence the diagnostic outcomes of AI-assisted endoscopy. Methods The present analysis employed data from a multicenter randomized controlled tandem video trial involving 22 endoscopists with varying degrees of expertise. Participants were tasked with evaluating a set of 96 endoscopic videos of Barrett's esophagus in two distinct rounds, with and without AI assistance. Diagnostic confidence levels were recorded, and decision changes were categorized according to the AI prediction. Additional surveys assessed user experience and system usability ratings. Results AI assistance significantly increased examiner confidence levels (p < 0.001) and accuracy. Withdrawing AI assistance decreased confidence (p < 0.001), but not accuracy. Experts consistently reported higher confidence than non-experts (p < 0.001), regardless of performance. Despite improved confidence, correct AI guidance was disregarded in 16\% of all cases, and 9\% of initially correct diagnoses were changed to incorrect ones. Overreliance on AI, algorithm aversion, and uncertainty in AI predictions were identified as key factors influencing outcomes. The System Usability Scale questionnaire scores indicated good to excellent usability, with non-experts scoring 73.5 and experts 85.6. Conclusions Our findings highlight the pivotal function of examiner behavior in AI-assisted endoscopy. To fully realize the benefits of AI, implementing explainable AI, improving user interfaces, and providing targeted training are essential. Addressing these factors could enhance diagnostic accuracy and confidence in clinical practice.}, language = {en} } @misc{RoemmeleMendelRauberetal., author = {R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Mendel, Robert and Rauber, David and R{\"u}ckert, Tobias and Byrne, Michael F. and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Endoscopic Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Using a deep Learning Algorithm}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {53}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 01}, publisher = {Georg Thieme Verlag}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0041-1724274}, abstract = {Aims Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is easily missed during endoscopy, either because physicians are not familiar with its endoscopic features or the morphologic changes are too subtle. In this preliminary paper, we present the first attempt to detect EoE in endoscopic white light (WL) images using a deep learning network (EoE-AI). Methods 401 WL images of eosinophilic esophagitis and 871 WL images of normal esophageal mucosa were evaluated. All images were assessed for the Endoscopic Reference score (EREFS) (edema, rings, exudates, furrows, strictures). Images with strictures were excluded. EoE was defined as the presence of at least 15 eosinophils per high power field on biopsy. A convolutional neural network based on the ResNet architecture with several five-fold cross-validation runs was used. Adding auxiliary EREFS-classification branches to the neural network allowed the inclusion of the scores as optimization criteria during training. EoE-AI was evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score. In addition, two human endoscopists evaluated the images. Results EoE-AI showed a mean sensitivity, specificity, and F1 of 0.759, 0.976, and 0.834 respectively, averaged over the five distinct cross-validation runs. With the EREFS-augmented architecture, a mean sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score of 0.848, 0.945, and 0.861 could be demonstrated respectively. In comparison, the two human endoscopists had an average sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score of 0.718, 0.958, and 0.793. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of deep learning to endoscopic images of EoE which were also assessed after augmentation with the EREFS-score. The next step is the evaluation of EoE-AI using an external dataset. We then plan to assess the EoE-AI tool on endoscopic videos, and also in real-time. This preliminary work is encouraging regarding the ability for AI to enhance physician detection of EoE, and potentially to do a true "optical biopsy" but more work is needed.}, language = {en} } @article{ScheppachRauberStallhoferetal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Rauber, David and Stallhofer, Johannes and Muzalyova, Anna and Otten, Vera and Manzeneder, Carolin and Schwamberger, Tanja and Wanzl, Julia and Schlottmann, Jakob and Tadic, Vidan and Probst, Andreas and Schnoy, Elisabeth and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Fleischmann, Carola and Meinikheim, Michael and Miller, Silvia and M{\"a}rkl, Bruno and Stallmach, Andreas and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Detection of duodenal villous atrophy on endoscopic images using a deep learning algorithm}, series = {Gastrointestinal Endoscopy}, journal = {Gastrointestinal Endoscopy}, publisher = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.gie.2023.01.006}, abstract = {Background and aims Celiac disease with its endoscopic manifestation of villous atrophy is underdiagnosed worldwide. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) for the macroscopic detection of villous atrophy at routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy may improve diagnostic performance. Methods A dataset of 858 endoscopic images of 182 patients with villous atrophy and 846 images from 323 patients with normal duodenal mucosa was collected and used to train a ResNet 18 deep learning model to detect villous atrophy. An external data set was used to test the algorithm, in addition to six fellows and four board certified gastroenterologists. Fellows could consult the AI algorithm's result during the test. From their consultation distribution, a stratification of test images into "easy" and "difficult" was performed and used for classified performance measurement. Results External validation of the AI algorithm yielded values of 90 \%, 76 \%, and 84 \% for sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, respectively. Fellows scored values of 63 \%, 72 \% and 67 \%, while the corresponding values in experts were 72 \%, 69 \% and 71 \%, respectively. AI consultation significantly improved all trainee performance statistics. While fellows and experts showed significantly lower performance for "difficult" images, the performance of the AI algorithm was stable. Conclusion In this study, an AI algorithm outperformed endoscopy fellows and experts in the detection of villous atrophy on endoscopic still images. AI decision support significantly improved the performance of non-expert endoscopists. The stable performance on "difficult" images suggests a further positive add-on effect in challenging cases.}, language = {en} } @misc{MeinikheimMendelProbstetal., author = {Meinikheim, Michael and Mendel, Robert and Probst, Andreas and Scheppach, Markus W. and Schnoy, Elisabeth and Nagl, Sandra and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Prinz, Friederike and Schlottmann, Jakob and Golger, Daniela and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {AI-assisted detection and characterization of early Barrett's neoplasia: Results of an Interim analysis}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {55}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S02}, publisher = {Thieme}, doi = {10.1055/s-0043-1765437}, pages = {S169}, abstract = {Aims Evaluation of the add-on effect an artificial intelligence (AI) based clinical decision support system has on the performance of endoscopists with different degrees of expertise in the field of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia (BERN). Methods The support system is based on a multi-task deep learning model trained to solve a segmentation and several classification tasks. The training approach represents an extension of the ECMT semi-supervised learning algorithm. The complete system evaluates a decision tree between estimated motion, classification, segmentation, and temporal constraints, to decide when and how the prediction is highlighted to the observer. In our current study, ninety-six video cases of patients with BE and BERN were prospectively collected and assessed by Barrett's specialists and non-specialists. All video cases were evaluated twice - with and without AI assistance. The order of appearance, either with or without AI support, was assigned randomly. Participants were asked to detect and characterize regions of dysplasia or early neoplasia within the video sequences. Results Standalone sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the AI system were 92.16\%, 68.89\%, and 81.25\%, respectively. Mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of expert endoscopists without AI support were 83,33\%, 58,20\%, and 71,48 \%, respectively. Gastroenterologists without Barrett's expertise but with AI support had a comparable performance with a mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 76,63\%, 65,35\%, and 71,36\%, respectively. Conclusions Non-Barrett's experts with AI support had a similar performance as experts in a video-based study.}, language = {en} } @article{ScheppachMendelMuzalyovaetal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Mendel, Robert and Muzalyova, Anna and Rauber, David and Probst, Andreas and Nagl, Sandra and R{\"o}mmele, Christoph and Yip, Hon Chi and Lau, Louis Ho Shing and G{\"o}lder, Stefan Karl and Schmidt, Arthur and Kouladouros, Konstantinos and Abdelhafez, Mohamed and Walter, Benjamin M. and Meinikheim, Michael and Chiu, Philip Wai Yan and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Artificial intelligence improves submucosal vessel detection during third space endoscopy}, series = {Endoscopy}, journal = {Endoscopy}, publisher = {Thieme}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/a-2534-1164}, abstract = {Background and study aims: While artificial intelligence (AI) shows high potential in decision support for diagnostic gastrointestinal endoscopy, its role in therapeutic endoscopy remains unclear. Third space endoscopic procedures pose the risk of intraprocedural bleeding. Therefore, we aimed to develop an AI algorithm for intraprocedural blood vessel detection. Patients and Methods: Using a test dataset with 101 standardized video clips containing 200 predefined submucosal blood vessels, 19 endoscopists were evaluated for the vessel detection rate (VDR) and time (VDT) with and without support of an AI algorithm. Test subjects were grouped according to experience in ESD. Results: With AI support, endoscopists VDR increased from 56.4\% [CI 54.1-58.6] to 72.4\% [CI 70.3-74.4]. Endoscopists' VDT dropped from 6.7sec [CI 6.2-7.1] to 5.2sec [CI 4.8-5.7]. False positive (FP) readings appeared in 4.5\% of frames and were marked significantly shorter than true positives (6.0sec [CI 5.28-6.70] vs. 0.7sec [CI 0.55-0.87]). Conclusions: AI improved the vessel detection rate and time of endoscopists during third space endoscopy. While these data need to be corroborated by clinical trials, AI may prove to be an invaluable tool for the improvement of endoscopic interventions.}, language = {en} } @article{RueckertRueckertPalm, author = {R{\"u}ckert, Tobias and R{\"u}ckert, Daniel and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Methods and datasets for segmentation of minimally invasive surgical instruments in endoscopic images and videos: A review of the state of the art}, series = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, volume = {169}, journal = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.107929}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-69830}, pages = {24}, abstract = {In the field of computer- and robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, enormous progress has been made in recent years based on the recognition of surgical instruments in endoscopic images and videos. In particular, the determination of the position and type of instruments is of great interest. Current work involves both spatial and temporal information, with the idea that predicting the movement of surgical tools over time may improve the quality of the final segmentations. The provision of publicly available datasets has recently encouraged the development of new methods, mainly based on deep learning. In this review, we identify and characterize datasets used for method development and evaluation and quantify their frequency of use in the literature. We further present an overview of the current state of research regarding the segmentation and tracking of minimally invasive surgical instruments in endoscopic images and videos. The paper focuses on methods that work purely visually, without markers of any kind attached to the instruments, considering both single-frame semantic and instance segmentation approaches, as well as those that incorporate temporal information. The publications analyzed were identified through the platforms Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed. The search terms used were "instrument segmentation", "instrument tracking", "surgical tool segmentation", and "surgical tool tracking", resulting in a total of 741 articles published between 01/2015 and 07/2023, of which 123 were included using systematic selection criteria. A discussion of the reviewed literature is provided, highlighting existing shortcomings and emphasizing the available potential for future developments.}, subject = {Deep Learning}, language = {en} } @misc{ScheppachRauberMendeletal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Rauber, David and Mendel, Robert and Palm, Christoph and Byrne, Michael F. and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Detection Of Celiac Disease Using A Deep Learning Algorithm}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {53}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 01}, publisher = {Georg Thieme Verlag}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0041-1724970}, abstract = {Aims Celiac disease (CD) is a complex condition caused by an autoimmune reaction to ingested gluten. Due to its polymorphic manifestation and subtle endoscopic presentation, the diagnosis is difficult and thus the disorder is underreported. We aimed to use deep learning to identify celiac disease on endoscopic images of the small bowel. Methods Patients with small intestinal histology compatible with CD (MARSH classification I-III) were extracted retrospectively from the database of Augsburg University hospital. They were compared to patients with no clinical signs of CD and histologically normal small intestinal mucosa. In a first step MARSH III and normal small intestinal mucosa were differentiated with the help of a deep learning algorithm. For this, the endoscopic white light images were divided into five equal-sized subsets. We avoided splitting the images of one patient into several subsets. A ResNet-50 model was trained with the images from four subsets and then validated with the remaining subset. This process was repeated for each subset, such that each subset was validated once. Sensitivity, specificity, and harmonic mean (F1) of the algorithm were determined. Results The algorithm showed values of 0.83, 0.88, and 0.84 for sensitivity, specificity, and F1, respectively. Further data showing a comparison between the detection rate of the AI model and that of experienced endoscopists will be available at the time of the upcoming conference. Conclusions We present the first clinical report on the use of a deep learning algorithm for the detection of celiac disease using endoscopic images. Further evaluation on an external data set, as well as in the detection of CD in real-time, will follow. However, this work at least suggests that AI can assist endoscopists in the endoscopic diagnosis of CD, and ultimately may be able to do a true optical biopsy in live-time.}, language = {en} } @article{RueweEigenbergerKleinetal., author = {Ruewe, Marc and Eigenberger, Andreas and Klein, Silvan and von Riedheim, Antonia and Gugg, Christine and Prantl, Lukas and Palm, Christoph and Weiherer, Maximilian and Zeman, Florian and Anker, Alexandra}, title = {Precise Monitoring of Returning Sensation in Digital Nerve Lesions by 3-D Imaging: A Proof-of-Concept Study}, series = {Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery}, volume = {152}, journal = {Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery}, number = {4}, publisher = {Lippincott Williams \& Wilkins}, address = {Philadelphia, Pa.}, organization = {American Society of Plastic Surgeons}, issn = {1529-4242}, doi = {10.1097/PRS.0000000000010456}, pages = {670e -- 674e}, abstract = {Digital nerve lesions result in a loss of tactile sensation reflected by an anesthetic area (AA) at the radial or ulnar aspect of the respective digit. Yet, available tools to monitor the recovery of tactile sense have been criticized for their lack of validity. However, the precise quantification of AA dynamics by three-dimensional (3-D) imaging could serve as an accurate surrogate to monitor recovery following digital nerve repair. For validation, AAs were marked on digits of healthy volunteers to simulate the AA of an impaired cutaneous innervation. Three dimensional models were composed from raw images that had been acquired with a 3-D camera (Vectra H2) to precisely quantify relative AA for each digit (3-D models, n= 80). Operator properties varied regarding individual experience in 3-D imaging and image processing. Additionally, the concept was applied in a clinical case study. Images taken by experienced photographers were rated better quality (p< 0.001) and needed less processing time (p= 0.020). Quantification of the relative AA was neither altered significantly by experience levels of the photographer (p= 0.425) nor the image assembler (p= 0.749). The proposed concept allows precise and reliable surface quantification of digits and can be performed consistently without relevant distortion by lack of examiner experience. Routine 3-D imaging of the AA has the great potential to provide visual evidence of various returning states of sensation and to convert sensory nerve recovery into a metric variable with high responsiveness to temporal progress.}, language = {en} } @misc{EbigboMendelTziatziosetal., author = {Ebigbo, Alanna and Mendel, Robert and Tziatzios, Georgios and Probst, Andreas and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut}, title = {Real-Time Diagnosis of an Early Barrett's Carcinoma using Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Video Case Demonstration}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {52}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 01}, publisher = {Thieme}, doi = {10.1055/s-0040-1704075}, pages = {S23}, abstract = {Introduction We present a clinical case showing the real-time detection, characterization and delineation of an early Barrett's cancer using AI. Patients and methods A 70-year old patient with a long-segment Barrett's esophagus (C5M7) was assessed with an AI algorithm. Results The AI system detected a 10 mm focal lesion and AI characterization predicted cancer with a probability of >90\%. After ESD resection, histopathology showed mucosal adenocarcinoma (T1a (m), R0) confirming AI diagnosis. Conclusion We demonstrate the real-time AI detection, characterization and delineation of a small and early mucosal Barrett's cancer.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrebs}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{NunesHammerHammeretal., author = {Nunes, Danilo Weber and Hammer, Michael and Hammer, Simone and Uller, Wibke and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Classification of Vascular Malformations Based on T2 STIR Magnetic Resonance Imaging}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2022: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, Heidelberg, June 26-28, 2022}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2022: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, Heidelberg, June 26-28, 2022}, publisher = {Springer Vieweg}, address = {Wiesbaden}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-36932-3_57}, pages = {267 -- 272}, abstract = {Vascular malformations (VMs) are a rare condition. They can be categorized into high-flow and low-flow VMs, which is a challenging task for radiologists. In this work, a very heterogeneous set of MRI images with only rough annotations are used for classification with a convolutional neural network. The main focus is to describe the challenging data set and strategies to deal with such data in terms of preprocessing, annotation usage and choice of the network architecture. We achieved a classification result of 89.47 \% F1-score with a 3D ResNet 18.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{RauberMendelScheppachetal., author = {Rauber, David and Mendel, Robert and Scheppach, Markus W. and Ebigbo, Alanna and Messmann, Helmut and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Analysis of Celiac Disease with Multimodal Deep Learning}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2022: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, Heidelberg, June 26-28, 2022}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2022: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, Heidelberg, June 26-28, 2022}, publisher = {Springer Vieweg}, address = {Wiesbaden}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-36932-3_25}, pages = {115 -- 120}, abstract = {Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by gluten that results in an inflammatory response of the small intestine.We investigated whether celiac disease can be detected using endoscopic images through a deep learning approach. The results show that additional clinical parameters can improve the classification accuracy. In this work, we distinguished between healthy tissue and Marsh III, according to the Marsh score system. We first trained a baseline network to classify endoscopic images of the small bowel into these two classes and then augmented the approach with a multimodality component that took the antibody status into account.}, language = {en} } @article{HuberSchlosserStenzeletal., author = {Huber, Michaela and Schlosser, Daniela and Stenzel, Susanne and Maier, Johannes and Pattappa, Girish and Kujat, Richard and Striegl, Birgit and Docheva, Denitsa}, title = {Quantitative Analysis of Surface Contouring with Pulsed Bipolar Radiofrequency on Thin Chondromalacic Cartilage}, series = {BioMed Research International}, journal = {BioMed Research International}, publisher = {HINDAWI}, doi = {10.1155/2020/1242086}, pages = {1 -- 8}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of surface contouring of chondromalacic cartilage by bipolar radio frequency energy using different treatment patterns in an animal model, as well as examining the impact of the treatment onto chondrocyte viability by two different methods. Our experiments were conducted on 36 fresh osteochondral sections from the tibia plateau of slaughtered 6-month-old pigs, where the thickness of the cartilage is similar to that of human wrist cartilage. An area of 1 cm(2) was first treated with emery paper to simulate the chondromalacic cartilage. Then, the treatment with RFE followed in 6 different patterns. The osteochondral sections were assessed for cellular viability (live/dead assay, caspase (cell apoptosis marker) staining, and quantitative analysed images obtained by fluorescent microscopy). For a quantitative characterization of none or treated cartilage surfaces, various roughness parameters were measured using confocal laser scanning microscopy (Olympus LEXT OLS 4000 3D). To describe the roughness, the Root-Mean-Square parameter (Sq) was calculated. A smoothing effect of the cartilage surface was detectable upon each pattern of RFE treatment. The Sq for native cartilage was Sq=3.8 +/- 1.1 mu m. The best smoothing pattern was seen for two RFE passes and a 2-second pulsed mode (B2p2) with an Sq=27.3 +/- 4.9 mu m. However, with increased smoothing, an augmentation in chondrocyte death up to 95\% was detected. Using bipolar RFE treatment in arthroscopy for small joints like the wrist or MCP joints should be used with caution. In the case of chondroplasty, there is a high chance to destroy the joint cartilage.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{MendelRauberPalm, author = {Mendel, Robert and Rauber, David and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Exploring the Effects of Contrastive Learning on Homogeneous Medical Image Data}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2023: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, July 2- 4, 2023, Braunschweig}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2023: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, July 2- 4, 2023, Braunschweig}, publisher = {Springer Vieweg}, address = {Wiesbaden}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-41657-7}, pages = {128 -- 13}, abstract = {We investigate contrastive learning in a multi-task learning setting classifying and segmenting early Barrett's cancer. How can contrastive learning be applied in a domain with few classes and low inter-class and inter-sample variance, potentially enabling image retrieval or image attribution? We introduce a data sampling strategy that mines per-lesion data for positive samples and keeps a queue of the recent projections as negative samples. We propose a masking strategy for the NT-Xent loss that keeps the negative set pure and removes samples from the same lesion. We show cohesion and uniqueness improvements of the proposed method in feature space. The introduction of the auxiliary objective does not affect the performance but adds the ability to indicate similarity between lesions. Therefore, the approach could enable downstream auto-documentation tasks on homogeneous medical image data.}, language = {en} } @article{EbigboPalmMessmann, author = {Ebigbo, Alanna and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut}, title = {Barrett esophagus: What to expect from Artificial Intelligence?}, series = {Best Practice \& Research Clinical Gastroenterology}, volume = {52-53}, journal = {Best Practice \& Research Clinical Gastroenterology}, number = {June-August}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {1521-6918}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpg.2021.101726}, abstract = {The evaluation and assessment of Barrett's esophagus is challenging for both expert and nonexpert endoscopists. However, the early diagnosis of cancer in Barrett's esophagus is crucial for its prognosis, and could save costs. Pre-clinical and clinical studies on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Barrett's esophagus have shown promising results. In this review, we focus on the current challenges and future perspectives of implementing AI systems in the management of patients with Barrett's esophagus.}, subject = {Deep Learning}, language = {en} } @article{MaierDesernoHandelsetal., author = {Maier, Andreas and Deserno, Thomas M. and Handels, Heinz and Maier-Hein, Klaus H. and Palm, Christoph and Tolxdorff, Thomas}, title = {Guest editorial of the IJCARS - BVM 2018 special issue}, series = {International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery}, volume = {14}, journal = {International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery}, publisher = {Springer}, doi = {10.1007/s11548-018-01902-0}, pages = {1 -- 2}, language = {en} } @article{PassosSouzaJrMendeletal., author = {Passos, Leandro A. and Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Mendel, Robert and Ebigbo, Alanna and Probst, Andreas and Messmann, Helmut and Palm, Christoph and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo}, title = {Barrett's esophagus analysis using infinity Restricted Boltzmann Machines}, series = {Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation}, volume = {59}, journal = {Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation}, publisher = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.jvcir.2019.01.043}, pages = {475 -- 485}, abstract = {The number of patients with Barret's esophagus (BE) has increased in the last decades. Considering the dangerousness of the disease and its evolution to adenocarcinoma, an early diagnosis of BE may provide a high probability of cancer remission. However, limitations regarding traditional methods of detection and management of BE demand alternative solutions. As such, computer-aided tools have been recently used to assist in this problem, but the challenge still persists. To manage the problem, we introduce the infinity Restricted Boltzmann Machines (iRBMs) to the task of automatic identification of Barrett's esophagus from endoscopic images of the lower esophagus. Moreover, since iRBM requires a proper selection of its meta-parameters, we also present a discriminative iRBM fine-tuning using six meta-heuristic optimization techniques. We showed that iRBMs are suitable for the context since it provides competitive results, as well as the meta-heuristic techniques showed to be appropriate for such task.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrankheit}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{WeberDoenitzBrawanskietal., author = {Weber, Joachim and Doenitz, Christian and Brawanski, Alexander and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Data-Parallel MRI Brain Segmentation in Clinicial Use}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2015; Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen; Proceedings des Workshops vom 15. bis 17. M{\"a}rz 2015 in L{\"u}beck}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2015; Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen; Proceedings des Workshops vom 15. bis 17. M{\"a}rz 2015 in L{\"u}beck}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-662-46224-9_67}, pages = {389 -- 394}, abstract = {Structural MRI brain analysis and segmentation is a crucial part in the daily routine in neurosurgery for intervention planning. Exemplarily, the free software FSL-FAST (FMRIB's Segmentation Library - FMRIB's Automated Segmentation Tool) in version 4 is used for segmentation of brain tissue types. To speed up the segmentation procedure by parallel execution, we transferred FSL-FAST to a General Purpose Graphics Processing Unit (GPGPU) using Open Computing Language (OpenCL) [1]. The necessary steps for parallelization resulted in substantially different and less useful results. Therefore, the underlying methods were revised and adapted yielding computational overhead. Nevertheless, we achieved a speed-up factor of 3.59 from CPU to GPGPU execution, as well providing similar useful or even better results.}, subject = {Kernspintomografie}, language = {en} } @misc{RueckertRiederRauberetal., author = {R{\"u}ckert, Tobias and Rieder, Maximilian and Rauber, David and Xiao, Michel and Humolli, Eg and Feussner, Hubertus and Wilhelm, Dirk and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Augmenting instrument segmentation in video sequences of minimally invasive surgery by synthetic smoky frames}, series = {International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery}, volume = {18}, journal = {International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery}, number = {Suppl 1}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, doi = {10.1007/s11548-023-02878-2}, pages = {S54 -- S56}, language = {en} } @article{WeihererEigenbergerEggeretal., author = {Weiherer, Maximilian and Eigenberger, Andreas and Egger, Bernhard and Br{\´e}bant, Vanessa and Prantl, Lukas and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Learning the shape of female breasts: an open-access 3D statistical shape model of the female breast built from 110 breast scans}, series = {The Visual Computer}, volume = {39}, journal = {The Visual Computer}, number = {4}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, doi = {10.1007/s00371-022-02431-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-30506}, pages = {1597 -- 1616}, abstract = {We present the Regensburg Breast Shape Model (RBSM)—a 3D statistical shape model of the female breast built from 110 breast scans acquired in a standing position, and the first publicly available. Together with the model, a fully automated, pairwise surface registration pipeline used to establish dense correspondence among 3D breast scans is introduced. Our method is computationally efficient and requires only four landmarks to guide the registration process. A major challenge when modeling female breasts from surface-only 3D breast scans is the non-separability of breast and thorax. In order to weaken the strong coupling between breast and surrounding areas, we propose to minimize the variance outside the breast region as much as possible. To achieve this goal, a novel concept called breast probability masks (BPMs) is introduced. A BPM assigns probabilities to each point of a 3D breast scan, telling how likely it is that a particular point belongs to the breast area. During registration, we use BPMs to align the template to the target as accurately as possible inside the breast region and only roughly outside. This simple yet effective strategy significantly reduces the unwanted variance outside the breast region, leading to better statistical shape models in which breast shapes are quite well decoupled from the thorax. The RBSM is thus able to produce a variety of different breast shapes as independently as possible from the shape of the thorax. Our systematic experimental evaluation reveals a generalization ability of 0.17 mm and a specificity of 2.8 mm. To underline the expressiveness of the proposed model, we finally demonstrate in two showcase applications how the RBSM can be used for surgical outcome simulation and the prediction of a missing breast from the remaining one. Our model is available at https://www.rbsm.re-mic.de/.}, language = {en} } @article{BrebantWeihererNoisseretal., author = {Br{\´e}bant, Vanessa and Weiherer, Maximilian and Noisser, Vivien and Seitz, Stephan and Prantl, Lukas and Eigenberger, Andreas}, title = {Implants Versus Lipograft: Analysis of Long-Term Results Following Congenital Breast Asymmetry Correction}, series = {Aesthetic Plastic Surgery}, volume = {46}, journal = {Aesthetic Plastic Surgery}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, doi = {10.1007/s00266-022-02843-5}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-32404}, pages = {2228 -- 2236}, abstract = {Aims Congenital breast asymmetry represents a particular challenge to the classic techniques of plastic surgery given the young age of patients at presentation. This study reviews and compares the long-term results of traditional breast augmentation using silicone implants and the more innovative technique of lipografting. Methods To achieve this, we not only captured subjective parameters such as satisfaction with outcome and symmetry, but also objective parameters including breast vol-ume and anthropometric measurements. The objective examination was performed manually and by using the Vectra H2 photogrammetry scanning system. Results Differences between patients undergoing either implant augmentation or lipograft were revealed not to be significant with respect to patient satisfaction with surgical outcome (p= 0.55) and symmetry (p= 0.69). Furthermore, a breast symmetry of 93 \% was reported in both groups. Likewise, no statistically significant volume difference between the left and right breasts was observed in both groups (p\0.41). However, lipograft patients needed on average 2.9 procedures to achieve the desired result, compared with 1.3 for implant augmentation. In contrast, patients treated with implant augmentation may require anumber of implant changes during their lifetime. Conclusion Both methods may be considered for patients presenting with congenital breast asymmetry.}, language = {en} } @article{MaierWeihererHuberetal., author = {Maier, Johannes and Weiherer, Maximilian and Huber, Michaela and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Imitating human soft tissue on basis of a dual-material 3D print using a support-filled metamaterial to provide bimanual haptic for a hand surgery training system}, series = {Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery}, volume = {9}, journal = {Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery}, number = {1}, publisher = {AME Publishing Company}, doi = {10.21037/qims.2018.09.17}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-979}, pages = {30 -- 42}, abstract = {Background: Currently, it is common practice to use three-dimensional (3D) printers not only for rapid prototyping in the industry, but also in the medical area to create medical applications for training inexperienced surgeons. In a clinical training simulator for minimally invasive bone drilling to fix hand fractures with Kirschner-wires (K-wires), a 3D-printed hand phantom must not only be geometrically but also haptically correct. Due to a limited view during an operation, surgeons need to perfectly localize underlying risk structures only by feeling of specific bony protrusions of the human hand. Methods: The goal of this experiment is to imitate human soft tissue with its haptic and elasticity for a realistic hand phantom fabrication, using only a dual-material 3D printer and support-material-filled metamaterial between skin and bone. We present our workflow to generate lattice structures between hard bone and soft skin with iterative cube edge (CE) or cube face (CF) unit cells. Cuboid and finger shaped sample prints with and without inner hard bone in different lattice thickness are constructed and 3D printed. Results: The most elastic available rubber-like material is too firm to imitate soft tissue. By reducing the amount of rubber in the inner volume through support material (SUP), objects become significantly softer. Without metamaterial, after disintegration, the SUP can be shifted through the volume and thus the body loses its original shape. Although the CE design increases the elasticity, it cannot restore the fabric form. In contrast to CE, the CF design increases not only the elasticity but also guarantees a local limitation of the SUP. Therefore, the body retains its shape and internal bones remain in its intended place. Various unit cell sizes, lattice thickening and skin thickness regulate the rubber material and SUP ratio. Test prints with higher SUP and lower rubber material percentage appear softer and vice versa. This was confirmed by an expert surgeon evaluation. Subjects adjudged pure rubber-like material as too firm and samples only filled with SUP or lattice structure in CE design as not suitable for imitating tissue. 3D-printed finger samples in CF design were rated as realistic compared to the haptic of human tissue with a good palpable bone structure. Conclusions: We developed a new dual-material 3D print technique to imitate soft tissue of the human hand with its haptic properties. Blowy SUP is trapped within a lattice structure to soften rubber-like 3D print material, which makes it possible to reproduce a realistic replica of human hand soft tissue.}, subject = {Handchirurgie}, language = {en} } @article{MaierWeihererHuberetal., author = {Maier, Johannes and Weiherer, Maximilian and Huber, Michaela and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Optically tracked and 3D printed haptic phantom hand for surgical training system}, series = {Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery}, volume = {10}, journal = {Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery}, number = {02}, publisher = {AME Publishing Company}, address = {Hong Kong, China}, doi = {10.21037/qims.2019.12.03}, pages = {340 -- 455}, abstract = {Background: For surgical fixation of bone fractures of the human hand, so-called Kirschner-wires (K-wires) are drilled through bone fragments. Due to the minimally invasive drilling procedures without a view of risk structures like vessels and nerves, a thorough training of young surgeons is necessary. For the development of a virtual reality (VR) based training system, a three-dimensional (3D) printed phantom hand is required. To ensure an intuitive operation, this phantom hand has to be realistic in both, its position relative to the driller as well as in its haptic features. The softest 3D printing material available on the market, however, is too hard to imitate human soft tissue. Therefore, a support-material (SUP) filled metamaterial is used to soften the raw material. Realistic haptic features are important to palpate protrusions of the bone to determine the drilling starting point and angle. An optical real-time tracking is used to transfer position and rotation to the training system. Methods: A metamaterial already developed in previous work is further improved by use of a new unit cell. Thus, the amount of SUP within the volume can be increased and the tissue is softened further. In addition, the human anatomy is transferred to the entire hand model. A subcutaneous fat layer and penetration of air through pores into the volume simulate shiftability of skin layers. For optical tracking, a rotationally symmetrical marker attached to the phantom hand with corresponding reference marker is developed. In order to ensure trouble-free position transmission, various types of marker point applications are tested. Results: Several cuboid and forearm sample prints lead to a final 30 centimeter long hand model. The whole haptic phantom could be printed faultless within about 17 hours. The metamaterial consisting of the new unit cell results in an increased SUP share of 4.32\%. Validated by an expert surgeon study, this allows in combination with a displacement of the uppermost skin layer a good palpability of the bones. Tracking of the hand marker in dodecahedron design works trouble-free in conjunction with a reference marker attached to the worktop of the training system. Conclusions: In this work, an optically tracked and haptically correct phantom hand was developed using dual-material 3D printing, which can be easily integrated into a surgical training system.}, subject = {Handchirurgie}, language = {en} } @article{NoisserEigenbergerWeihereretal., author = {Noisser, Vivien and Eigenberger, Andreas and Weiherer, Maximilian and Seitz, Stephan and Prantl, Lukas and Br{\´e}bant, Vanessa}, title = {Surgery of congenital breast asymmetry - which objective parameter influences the subjective satisfaction with long-term results}, series = {Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics}, journal = {Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, doi = {10.1007/s00404-021-06218-0}, pages = {8}, abstract = {Purpose Congenital breast asymmetry is a serious gynecological malformation for affected patients. The condition hits young women in puberty and is associated with socio-esthetic handicap, depression, and psychosexual problems. Surgical treatment is usually early in the patient's lifetime, so a long-term sustainable solution is important. Although postoperative outcome has been evaluated in several studies before, this study is the first to analyze which objective parameters have the greatest influence on subjective satisfaction with long-term results. Methods Thirty-four patients diagnosed with congenital breast asymmetry that underwent either lipofilling or implant therapy between the years of 2008 to 2019 were examined. On average, our collective comprised patients seven years after surgery. Data were mainly gathered through manual measurements, patient-reported outcome measures (Breast Q™), and breast volumetry based on 3D scans (Vectra® H2, Canfield Scientific). Results Among all analyzed parameters, only areolar diameter correlated significantly negatively with the subjective outcome satisfaction of the patient. Regarding the subjective assessment of postoperative satisfaction with similarity of the breasts, again the mean areolar diameter, but also the difference in areolar diameter and breast volume between the right and left breasts correlated significantly negatively. Conclusion Areolar diameter was revealed as being a significant factor influencing subjective long-term satisfaction in breast asymmetry patients. Moreover, 3D volumetry proves to be an effective tool to substantiate subjective patient assessments. Our findings may lead to further improvements to surgical planning and will be expanded in further studies.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{MaierHuberKatzkyetal., author = {Maier, Johannes and Huber, Michaela and Katzky, Uwe and Perret, Jerome and Wittenberg, Thomas and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Force-Feedback-assisted Bone Drilling Simulation Based on CT Data}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2018; Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen; Proceedings des Workshops vom 11. bis 13. M{\"a}rz 2018 in Erlangen}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2018; Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen; Proceedings des Workshops vom 11. bis 13. M{\"a}rz 2018 in Erlangen}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-662-56537-7_78}, pages = {291 -- 296}, abstract = {In order to fix a fracture using minimally invasive surgery approaches, surgeons are drilling complex and tiny bones with a 2 dimensional X-ray as single imaging modality in the operating room. Our novel haptic force-feedback and visual assisted training system will potentially help hand surgeons to learn the drilling procedure in a realistic visual environment. Within the simulation, the collision detection as well as the interaction between virtual drill, bone voxels and surfaces are important. In this work, the chai3d collision detection and force calculation algorithms are combined with a physics engine to simulate the bone drilling process. The chosen Bullet-Physics-Engine provides a stable simulation of rigid bodies, if the collision model of the drill and the tool holder is generated as a compound shape. Three haptic points are added to the K-wire tip for removing single voxels from the bone. For the drilling process three modes are proposed to emulate the different phases of drilling in restricting the movement of a haptic device.}, subject = {Handchirurgie}, language = {en} } @article{EbigboMendelProbstetal., author = {Ebigbo, Alanna and Mendel, Robert and Probst, Andreas and Manzeneder, Johannes and Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut}, title = {Computer-aided diagnosis using deep learning in the evaluation of early oesophageal adenocarcinoma}, series = {GuT}, volume = {68}, journal = {GuT}, number = {7}, publisher = {British Society of Gastroenterology}, doi = {10.1136/gutjnl-2018-317573}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-68}, pages = {1143 -- 1145}, abstract = {Computer-aided diagnosis using deep learning (CAD-DL) may be an instrument to improve endoscopic assessment of Barrett's oesophagus (BE) and early oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Based on still images from two databases, the diagnosis of EAC by CAD-DL reached sensitivities/specificities of 97\%/88\% (Augsburg data) and 92\%/100\% (Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention [MICCAI] data) for white light (WL) images and 94\%/80\% for narrow band images (NBI) (Augsburg data), respectively. Tumour margins delineated by experts into images were detected satisfactorily with a Dice coefficient (D) of 0.72. This could be a first step towards CAD-DL for BE assessment. If developed further, it could become a useful adjunctive tool for patient management.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrebs}, language = {en} } @article{WoehlMaierGehmertetal., author = {W{\"o}hl, Rebecca and Maier, Johannes and Gehmert, Sebastian and Palm, Christoph and Riebschl{\"a}ger, Birgit and Nerlich, Michael and Huber, Michaela}, title = {3D Analysis of Osteosyntheses Material using semi-automated CT Segmentation}, series = {BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders}, volume = {19}, journal = {BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, doi = {10.1186/s12891-018-1975-0}, pages = {1 -- 8}, abstract = {Backround Scaphoidectomy and midcarpal fusion can be performed using traditional fixation methods like K-wires, staples, screws or different dorsal (non)locking arthrodesis systems. The aim of this study is to test the Aptus four corner locking plate and to compare the clinical findings to the data revealed by CT scans and semi-automated segmentation. Methods: This is a retrospective review of eleven patients suffering from scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC) or scaphoid non-union advanced collapse (SNAC) wrist, who received a four corner fusion between August 2011 and July 2014. The clinical evaluation consisted of measuring the range of motion (ROM), strength and pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS). Additionally, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) and the Mayo Wrist Score were assessed. A computerized tomography (CT) of the wrist was obtained six weeks postoperatively. After semi-automated segmentation of the CT scans, the models were post processed and surveyed. Results During the six-month follow-up mean range of motion (ROM) of the operated wrist was 60°, consisting of 30° extension and 30° flexion. While pain levels decreased significantly, 54\% of grip strength and 89\% of pinch strength were preserved compared to the contralateral healthy wrist. Union could be detected in all CT scans of the wrist. While X-ray pictures obtained postoperatively revealed no pathology, two user related technical complications were found through the 3D analysis, which correlated to the clinical outcome. Conclusion Due to semi-automated segmentation and 3D analysis it has been proved that the plate design can keep up to the manufacturers' promises. Over all, this case series confirmed that the plate can compete with the coexisting techniques concerning clinical outcome, union and complication rate.}, subject = {Handchirurgie}, language = {en} } @misc{ScheppachMendelProbstetal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Mendel, Robert and Probst, Andreas and Rauber, David and R{\"u}ckert, Tobias and Meinikheim, Michael and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Real-time detection and delineation of tissue during third-space endoscopy using artificial intelligence (AI)}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {55}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S02}, publisher = {Thieme}, doi = {10.1055/s-0043-1765128}, pages = {S53 -- S54}, abstract = {Aims AI has proven great potential in assisting endoscopists in diagnostics, however its role in therapeutic endoscopy remains unclear. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a technically demanding intervention with a slow learning curve and relevant risks like bleeding and perforation. Therefore, we aimed to develop an algorithm for the real-time detection and delineation of relevant structures during third-space endoscopy. Methods 5470 still images from 59 full length videos (47 ESD, 12 POEM) were annotated. 179681 additional unlabeled images were added to the training dataset. Consequently, a DeepLabv3+ neural network architecture was trained with the ECMT semi-supervised algorithm (under review elsewhere). Evaluation of vessel detection was performed on a dataset of 101 standardized video clips from 15 separate third-space endoscopy videos with 200 predefined blood vessels. Results Internal validation yielded an overall mean Dice score of 85\% (68\% for blood vessels, 86\% for submucosal layer, 88\% for muscle layer). On the video test data, the overall vessel detection rate (VDR) was 94\% (96\% for ESD, 74\% for POEM). The median overall vessel detection time (VDT) was 0.32 sec (0.3 sec for ESD, 0.62 sec for POEM). Conclusions Evaluation of the developed algorithm on a video test dataset showed high VDR and quick VDT, especially for ESD. Further research will focus on a possible clinical benefit of the AI application for VDR and VDT during third-space endoscopy.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrankheit}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SouzaJrHookPapaetal., author = {Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Hook, Christian and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Barrett's Esophagus Analysis Using SURF Features}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2017; Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen. Proceedings des Workshops vom 12. bis 14. M{\"a}rz 2017 in Heidelberg}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2017; Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen. Proceedings des Workshops vom 12. bis 14. M{\"a}rz 2017 in Heidelberg}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-662-54345-0_34}, pages = {141 -- 146}, abstract = {The development of adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus is difficult to detect by endoscopic surveillance of patients with signs of dysplasia. Computer assisted diagnosis of endoscopic images (CAD) could therefore be most helpful in the demarcation and classification of neoplastic lesions. In this study we tested the feasibility of a CAD method based on Speeded up Robust Feature Detection (SURF). A given database containing 100 images from 39 patients served as benchmark for feature based classification models. Half of the images had previously been diagnosed by five clinical experts as being "cancerous", the other half as "non-cancerous". Cancerous image regions had been visibly delineated (masked) by the clinicians. SURF features acquired from full images as well as from masked areas were utilized for the supervised training and testing of an SVM classifier. The predictive accuracy of the developed CAD system is illustrated by sensitivity and specificity values. The results based on full image matching where 0.78 (sensitivity) and 0.82 (specificity) were achieved, while the masked region approach generated results of 0.90 and 0.95, respectively.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrankheit}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{MendelEbigboProbstetal., author = {Mendel, Robert and Ebigbo, Alanna and Probst, Andreas and Messmann, Helmut and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Barrett's Esophagus Analysis Using Convolutional Neural Networks}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2017; Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen. Proceedings des Workshops vom 12. bis 14. M{\"a}rz 2017 in Heidelberg}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2017; Algorithmen - Systeme - Anwendungen. Proceedings des Workshops vom 12. bis 14. M{\"a}rz 2017 in Heidelberg}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-662-54345-0_23}, pages = {80 -- 85}, abstract = {We propose an automatic approach for early detection of adenocarcinoma in the esophagus. High-definition endoscopic images (50 cancer, 50 Barrett) are partitioned into a dataset containing approximately equal amounts of patches showing cancerous and non-cancerous regions. A deep convolutional neural network is adapted to the data using a transfer learning approach. The final classification of an image is determined by at least one patch, for which the probability being a cancer patch exceeds a given threshold. The model was evaluated with leave one patient out cross-validation. With sensitivity and specificity of 0.94 and 0.88, respectively, our findings improve recently published results on the same image data base considerably. Furthermore, the visualization of the class probabilities of each individual patch indicates, that our approach might be extensible to the segmentation domain.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrebs}, language = {en} } @article{SouzaJrPassosSantanaetal., author = {Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Passos, Leandro A. and Santana, Marcos Cleison S. and Mendel, Robert and Rauber, David and Ebigbo, Alanna and Probst, Andreas and Messmann, Helmut and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Layer-selective deep representation to improve esophageal cancer classification}, series = {Medical \& Biological Engineering \& Computing}, volume = {62}, journal = {Medical \& Biological Engineering \& Computing}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, address = {Heidelberg}, doi = {10.1007/s11517-024-03142-8}, pages = {3355 -- 3372}, abstract = {Even though artificial intelligence and machine learning have demonstrated remarkable performances in medical image computing, their accountability and transparency level must be improved to transfer this success into clinical practice. The reliability of machine learning decisions must be explained and interpreted, especially for supporting the medical diagnosis.For this task, the deep learning techniques' black-box nature must somehow be lightened up to clarify its promising results. Hence, we aim to investigate the impact of the ResNet-50 deep convolutional design for Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma classification. For such a task, and aiming at proposing a two-step learning technique, the output of each convolutional layer that composes the ResNet-50 architecture was trained and classified for further definition of layers that would provide more impact in the architecture. We showed that local information and high-dimensional features are essential to improve the classification for our task. Besides, we observed a significant improvement when the most discriminative layers expressed more impact in the training and classification of ResNet-50 for Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma classification, demonstrating that both human knowledge and computational processing may influence the correct learning of such a problem.}, language = {en} } @article{EbigboMendelProbstetal., author = {Ebigbo, Alanna and Mendel, Robert and Probst, Andreas and Meinikheim, Michael and Byrne, Michael F. and Messmann, Helmut and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Multimodal imaging for detection and segmentation of Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia using artificial intelligence}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {54}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {10}, edition = {E-Video}, publisher = {Georg Thieme Verlag}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/a-1704-7885}, pages = {1}, abstract = {The early diagnosis of cancer in Barrett's esophagus is crucial for improving the prognosis. However, identifying Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia (BERN) is challenging, even for experts [1]. Four-quadrant biopsies may improve the detection of neoplasia, but they can be associated with sampling errors. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) to the assessment of Barrett's esophagus could improve the diagnosis of BERN, and this has been demonstrated in both preclinical and clinical studies [2] [3]. In this video demonstration, we show the accurate detection and delineation of BERN in two patients ([Video 1]). In part 1, the AI system detects a mucosal cancer about 20 mm in size and accurately delineates the lesion in both white-light and narrow-band imaging. In part 2, a small island of BERN with high-grade dysplasia is detected and delineated in white-light, narrow-band, and texture and color enhancement imaging. The video shows the results using a transparent overlay of the mucosal cancer in real time as well as a full segmentation preview. Additionally, the optical flow allows for the assessment of endoscope movement, something which is inversely related to the reliability of the AI prediction. We demonstrate that multimodal imaging can be applied to the AI-assisted detection and segmentation of even small focal lesions in real time.}, language = {en} } @article{KolevKirchgessnerHoubenetal., author = {Kolev, Kalin and Kirchgeßner, Norbert and Houben, Sebastian and Csisz{\´a}r, Agnes and Rubner, Wolfgang and Palm, Christoph and Eiben, Bj{\"o}rn and Merkel, Rudolf and Cremers, Daniel}, title = {A variational approach to vesicle membrane reconstruction from fluorescence imaging}, series = {Pattern Recognition}, volume = {44}, journal = {Pattern Recognition}, number = {12}, publisher = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.patcog.2011.04.019}, pages = {2944 -- 2958}, abstract = {Biological applications like vesicle membrane analysis involve the precise segmentation of 3D structures in noisy volumetric data, obtained by techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or laser scanning microscopy (LSM). Dealing with such data is a challenging task and requires robust and accurate segmentation methods. In this article, we propose a novel energy model for 3D segmentation fusing various cues like regional intensity subdivision, edge alignment and orientation information. The uniqueness of the approach consists in the definition of a new anisotropic regularizer, which accounts for the unbalanced slicing of the measured volume data, and the generalization of an efficient numerical scheme for solving the arising minimization problem, based on linearization and fixed-point iteration. We show how the proposed energy model can be optimized globally by making use of recent continuous convex relaxation techniques. The accuracy and robustness of the presented approach are demonstrated by evaluating it on multiple real data sets and comparing it to alternative segmentation methods based on level sets. Although the proposed model is designed with focus on the particular application at hand, it is general enough to be applied to a variety of different segmentation tasks.}, subject = {Dreidimensionale Bildverarbeitung}, language = {en} } @misc{MeinikheimMendelScheppachetal., author = {Meinikheim, Michael and Mendel, Robert and Scheppach, Markus W. and Probst, Andreas and Prinz, Friederike and Schwamberger, Tanja and Schlottmann, Jakob and G{\"o}lder, Stefan Karl and Walter, Benjamin and Steinbr{\"u}ck, Ingo and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {INFLUENCE OF AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM (DSS) ON THE DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMANCE OF NON-EXPERTS IN BARRETT´S ESOPHAGUS RELATED NEOPLASIA (BERN)}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {54}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S 01}, publisher = {Thieme}, doi = {10.1055/s-00000012}, pages = {S39}, abstract = {Aims Barrett´s esophagus related neoplasia (BERN) is difficult to detect and characterize during endoscopy, even for expert endoscopists. We aimed to assess the add-on effect of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm (Barrett-Ampel) as a decision support system (DSS) for non-expert endoscopists in the evaluation of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and BERN. Methods Twelve videos with multimodal imaging white light (WL), narrow-band imaging (NBI), texture and color enhanced imaging (TXI) of histologically confirmed BE and BERN were assessed by expert and non-expert endoscopists. For each video, endoscopists were asked to identify the area of BERN and decide on the biopsy spot. Videos were assessed by the AI algorithm and regions of BERN were highlighted in real-time by a transparent overlay. Finally, endoscopists were shown the AI videos and asked to either confirm or change their initial decision based on the AI support. Results Barrett-Ampel correctly identified all areas of BERN, irrespective of the imaging modality (WL, NBI, TXI), but misinterpreted two inflammatory lesions (Accuracy=75\%). Expert endoscopists had a similar performance (Accuracy=70,8\%), while non-experts had an accuracy of 58.3\%. When AI was implemented as a DSS, non-expert endoscopists improved their diagnostic accuracy to 75\%. Conclusions AI may have the potential to support non-expert endoscopists in the assessment of videos of BE and BERN. Limitations of this study include the low number of videos used. Randomized clinical trials in a real-life setting should be performed to confirm these results.}, subject = {Speiser{\"o}hrenkrankheit}, language = {en} } @article{ScheppachMendelProbstetal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Mendel, Robert and Probst, Andreas and Meinikheim, Michael and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) - ASSISTED VESSEL AND TISSUE RECOGNITION IN THIRD-SPACE ENDOSCOPY}, series = {Endoscopy}, volume = {54}, journal = {Endoscopy}, number = {S01}, publisher = {Thieme}, doi = {10.1055/s-0042-1745037}, pages = {S175}, abstract = {Aims Third-space endoscopy procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) are complex interventions with elevated risk of operator-dependent adverse events, such as intra-procedural bleeding and perforation. We aimed to design an artificial intelligence clinical decision support solution (AI-CDSS, "Smart ESD") for the detection and delineation of vessels, tissue structures, and instruments during third-space endoscopy procedures. Methods Twelve full-length third-space endoscopy videos were extracted from the Augsburg University Hospital database. 1686 frames were annotated for the following categories: Submucosal layer, blood vessels, electrosurgical knife and endoscopic instrument. A DeepLabv3+neural network with a 101-layer ResNet backbone was trained and validated internally. Finally, the ability of the AI system to detect visible vessels during ESD and POEM was determined on 24 separate video clips of 7 to 46 seconds duration and showing 33 predefined vessels. These video clips were also assessed by an expert in third-space endoscopy. Results Smart ESD showed a vessel detection rate (VDR) of 93.94\%, while an average of 1.87 false positive signals were recorded per minute. VDR of the expert endoscopist was 90.1\% with no false positive findings. On the internal validation data set using still images, the AI system demonstrated an Intersection over Union (IoU), mean Dice score and pixel accuracy of 63.47\%, 76.18\% and 86.61\%, respectively. Conclusions This is the first AI-CDSS aiming to mitigate operator-dependent limitations during third-space endoscopy. Further clinical trials are underway to better understand the role of AI in such procedures.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{WeberNunesRauberPalm, author = {Weber Nunes, Danilo and Rauber, David and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Self-supervised 3D Vision Transformer Pre-training for Robust Brain Tumor Classification}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2025: Proceedings, German Conference on Medical Image Computing, Regensburg March 09-11, 2025}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2025: Proceedings, German Conference on Medical Image Computing, Regensburg March 09-11, 2025}, editor = {Palm, Christoph and Breininger, Katharina and Deserno, Thomas M. and Handels, Heinz and Maier, Andreas and Maier-Hein, Klaus H. and Tolxdorff, Thomas}, publisher = {Springer Vieweg}, address = {Wiesbaden}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-47422-5_69}, pages = {298 -- 303}, abstract = {Brain tumors pose significant challenges in neurology, making precise classification crucial for prognosis and treatment planning. This work investigates the effectiveness of a self-supervised learning approach-masked autoencoding (MAE)-to pre-train a vision transformer (ViT) model for brain tumor classification. Our method uses non-domain specific data, leveraging the ADNI and OASIS-3 MRI datasets, which primarily focus on degenerative diseases, for pretraining. The model is subsequently fine-tuned and evaluated on the BraTS glioma and meningioma datasets, representing a novel use of these datasets for tumor classification. The pre-trained MAE ViT model achieves an average F1 score of 0.91 in a 5-fold cross-validation setting, outperforming the nnU-Net encoder trained from scratch, particularly under limited data conditions. These findings highlight the potential of self-supervised MAE in enhancing brain tumor classification accuracy, even with restricted labeled data.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{WeiherervonRiedheimBrebantetal., author = {Weiherer, Maximilian and von Riedheim, Antonia and Br{\´e}bant, Vanessa and Egger, Bernhard and Palm, Christoph}, title = {iRBSM: A Deep Implicit 3D Breast Shape Model}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2025: Proceedings, German Conference on Medical Image Computing, Regensburg March 09-11, 2025}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2025: Proceedings, German Conference on Medical Image Computing, Regensburg March 09-11, 2025}, editor = {Palm, Christoph and Breininger, Katharina and Deserno, Thomas M. and Handels, Heinz and Maier, Andreas and Maier-Hein, Klaus H. and Tolxdorff, Thomas}, publisher = {Springer Vieweg}, address = {Wiesbaden}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-47422-5_11}, pages = {38 -- 43}, abstract = {We present the first deep implicit 3D shape model of the female breast, building upon and improving the recently proposed Regensburg Breast Shape Model (RBSM). Compared to its PCA-based predecessor, our model employs implicit neural representations; hence, it can be trained on raw 3D breast scans and eliminates the need for computationally demanding non-rigid registration, a task that is particularly difficult for feature-less breast shapes. The resulting model, dubbed iRBSM, captures detailed surface geometry including fine structures such as nipples and belly buttons, is highly expressive, and outperforms the RBSM on different surface reconstruction tasks. Finally, leveraging the iRBSM, we present a prototype application to 3D reconstruct breast shapes from just a single image. Model and code publicly available at https://rbsm.re-mic.de/implicit.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{GutbrodGeislerRauberetal., author = {Gutbrod, Max and Geisler, Benedikt and Rauber, David and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Data Augmentation for Images of Chronic Foot Wounds}, series = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2024: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, March 10-12, 2024, Erlangen}, booktitle = {Bildverarbeitung f{\"u}r die Medizin 2024: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, March 10-12, 2024, Erlangen}, editor = {Maier, Andreas and Deserno, Thomas M. and Handels, Heinz and Maier-Hein, Klaus H. and Palm, Christoph and Tolxdorff, Thomas}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Wiesbaden}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-44037-4_71}, pages = {261 -- 266}, abstract = {Training data for Neural Networks is often scarce in the medical domain, which often results in models that struggle to generalize and consequently showpoor performance on unseen datasets. Generally, adding augmentation methods to the training pipeline considerably enhances a model's performance. Using the dataset of the Foot Ulcer Segmentation Challenge, we analyze two additional augmentation methods in the domain of chronic foot wounds - local warping of wound edges along with projection and blurring of shapes inside wounds. Our experiments show that improvements in the Dice similarity coefficient and Normalized Surface Distance metrics depend on a sensible selection of those augmentation methods.}, language = {en} } @misc{ScheppachMendelProbstetal., author = {Scheppach, Markus W. and Mendel, Robert and Probst, Andreas and Meinikheim, Michael and Palm, Christoph and Messmann, Helmut and Ebigbo, Alanna}, title = {Artificial Intelligence (AI) - assisted vessel and tissue recognition during third space endoscopy (Smart ESD)}, series = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Gastroenterologie}, volume = {60}, journal = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Gastroenterologie}, number = {08}, publisher = {Georg Thieme Verlag}, address = {Stuttgart}, doi = {10.1055/s-0042-1755110}, abstract = {Clinical setting Third space procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) are complex minimally invasive techniques with an elevated risk for operator-dependent adverse events such as bleeding and perforation. This risk arises from accidental dissection into the muscle layer or through submucosal blood vessels as the submucosal cutting plane within the expanding resection site is not always apparent. Deep learning algorithms have shown considerable potential for the detection and characterization of gastrointestinal lesions. So-called AI - clinical decision support solutions (AI-CDSS) are commercially available for polyp detection during colonoscopy. Until now, these computer programs have concentrated on diagnostics whereas an AI-CDSS for interventional endoscopy has not yet been introduced. We aimed to develop an AI-CDSS („Smart ESD") for real-time intra-procedural detection and delineation of blood vessels, tissue structures and endoscopic instruments during third-space endoscopic procedures. Characteristics of Smart ESD An AI-CDSS was invented that delineates blood vessels, tissue structures and endoscopic instruments during third-space endoscopy in real-time. The output can be displayed by an overlay over the endoscopic image with different modes of visualization, such as a color-coded semitransparent area overlay, or border tracing (demonstration video). Hereby the optimal layer for dissection can be visualized, which is close above or directly at the muscle layer, depending on the applied technique (ESD or POEM). Furthermore, relevant blood vessels (thickness> 1mm) are delineated. Spatial proximity between the electrosurgical knife and a blood vessel triggers a warning signal. By this guidance system, inadvertent dissection through blood vessels could be averted. Technical specifications A DeepLabv3+ neural network architecture with KSAC and a 101-layer ResNeSt backbone was used for the development of Smart ESD. It was trained and validated with 2565 annotated still images from 27 full length third-space endoscopic videos. The annotation classes were blood vessel, submucosal layer, muscle layer, electrosurgical knife and endoscopic instrument shaft. A test on a separate data set yielded an intersection over union (IoU) of 68\%, a Dice Score of 80\% and a pixel accuracy of 87\%, demonstrating a high overlap between expert and AI segmentation. Further experiments on standardized video clips showed a mean vessel detection rate (VDR) of 85\% with values of 92\%, 70\% and 95\% for POEM, rectal ESD and esophageal ESD respectively. False positive measurements occurred 0.75 times per minute. 7 out of 9 vessels which caused intraprocedural bleeding were caught by the algorithm, as well as both vessels which required hemostasis via hemostatic forceps. Future perspectives Smart ESD performed well for vessel and tissue detection and delineation on still images, as well as on video clips. During a live demonstration in the endoscopy suite, clinical applicability of the innovation was examined. The lag time for processing of the live endoscopic image was too short to be visually detectable for the interventionist. Even though the algorithm could not be applied during actual dissection by the interventionist, Smart ESD appeared readily deployable during visual assessment by ESD experts. Therefore, we plan to conduct a clinical trial in order to obtain CE-certification of the algorithm. This new technology may improve procedural safety and speed, as well as training of modern minimally invasive endoscopic resection techniques.}, subject = {Bildgebendes Verfahren}, language = {en} } @article{SouzaJrPachecoPassosetal., author = {Souza Jr., Luis Antonio de and Pacheco, Andr{\´e} G.C. and Passos, Leandro A. and Santana, Marcos Cleison S. and Mendel, Robert and Ebigbo, Alanna and Probst, Andreas and Messmann, Helmut and Palm, Christoph and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo}, title = {DeepCraftFuse: visual and deeply-learnable features work better together for esophageal cancer detection in patients with Barrett's esophagus}, series = {Neural Computing and Applications}, volume = {36}, journal = {Neural Computing and Applications}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {London}, doi = {10.1007/s00521-024-09615-z}, pages = {10445 -- 10459}, abstract = {Limitations in computer-assisted diagnosis include lack of labeled data and inability to model the relation between what experts see and what computers learn. Even though artificial intelligence and machine learning have demonstrated remarkable performances in medical image computing, their accountability and transparency level must be improved to transfer this success into clinical practice. The reliability of machine learning decisions must be explained and interpreted, especially for supporting the medical diagnosis. While deep learning techniques are broad so that unseen information might help learn patterns of interest, human insights to describe objects of interest help in decision-making. This paper proposes a novel approach, DeepCraftFuse, to address the challenge of combining information provided by deep networks with visual-based features to significantly enhance the correct identification of cancerous tissues in patients affected with Barrett's esophagus (BE). We demonstrate that DeepCraftFuse outperforms state-of-the-art techniques on private and public datasets, reaching results of around 95\% when distinguishing patients affected by BE that is either positive or negative to esophageal cancer.}, subject = {Deep Learning}, language = {en} } @article{SouzaPachecodeSouzaetal., author = {Souza, Luis A. and Pacheco, Andr{\´e} G.C. and de Souza, Alberto F. and Oliveira-Santos, Thiago and Badue, Claudine and Palm, Christoph and Papa, Jo{\~a}o Paulo}, title = {TransConv: a lightweight architecture based on transformers and convolutional neural networks for adenocarcinoma and Barrett's esophagus identification}, series = {Neural Computing and Applications}, journal = {Neural Computing and Applications}, number = {37}, publisher = {Springer}, doi = {10.1007/s00521-025-11299-y}, pages = {15535 -- 15546}, abstract = {Barrett's esophagus, also known as BE, is commonly associated with repeated exposure to stomach acid. If not treated properly, it may evolve into esophageal adenocarcinoma, aka esophageal cancer. This paper proposes TransConv, a hybrid architecture that benefits from features learned by pre-trained vision transformers (ViTs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs), followed by a shallow neural network composed of three normalizations, ReLU activations, and fully connected layers, and a SoftMax head to distinguish between BE and esophageal cancer. TransConv is designed to be training-lightweight, and for the ViT and CNN backbone models, weights are kept frozen during training, i.e., the primary goal of TransConv is to learn the weights of the fully connected layer from both backbones only, avoiding the burden of updating their weights but still learning their final descriptions for the lightweight convolutional model. We report promising results with low computational training costs in two datasets, one public and another private. From our achievements, TransConv was able to deliver balanced accuracy results around 85\% and 86\% for each evaluated dataset, respectively, in a design that required only 50 epochs of model training, a very reduced number compared to state-of-the-art conducted studies in the same domain.}, language = {en} } @article{LehlePhilippKrenkeletal., author = {Lehle, Karla and Philipp, Alois and Krenkel, Lars and Gruber, Michael and Hiller, Karl-Anton and M{\"u}ller, Thomas and Lubnow, Matthias}, title = {Thrombocytopenia During Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Adult Patients With Bacterial, Viral, and COVID-19 Pneumonia}, series = {ASAIO Journal}, journal = {ASAIO Journal}, publisher = {Wolters Kluwer}, issn = {1058-2916}, doi = {10.1097/MAT.0000000000002383}, abstract = {Contact of blood with artificial surfaces triggers platelet activation. The aim was to compare platelet kinetics after venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) start and after system exchange in different etiologies of acute lung failure. Platelet counts and coagulation parameters were analyzed from adult patients with long and exchange-free (≥8 days) ECMO runs (n = 330) caused by bacterial (n = 142), viral (n = 76), or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (n = 112) pneumonia. A subpopulation requiring a system exchange and with long, exchange-free runs of the second oxygenator (≥7 days) (n = 110) was analyzed analogously. Patients with COVID-19 showed the highest platelet levels before ECMO implantation. Independent of the underlying disease and ECMO type, platelet counts decreased significantly within 24 hours and reached a steady state after 5 days. In the subpopulation, at the day of a system exchange, platelet counts were lower compared with ECMO start, but without differences between underlying diseases. Subsequently, platelets remained unchanged in the bacterial pneumonia group, but increased in the COVID-19 and viral pneumonia groups within 2-4 days, whereas D-dimers decreased and fibrinogen levels increased. Thus, overall platelet counts on V-V ECMO show disease-specific initial dynamics followed by an ongoing consumption by the ECMO device, which is not boosted by new artificial surfaces after a system exchange.}, language = {en} } @article{TroesterEcksteinKenneletal., author = {Tr{\"o}ster, Mark and Eckstein, Simon and Kennel, Paula and Kopp, Verna and Benkiser, Alina and Bihlmeier, Felicitas and Daub, Urban and Maufroy, Christophe and Dendorfer, Sebastian and Fritzsche, Lars and Schneider, Urs and Bauernhasl, Thomas}, title = {Person-specific evaluation method for occupational exoskeletons - Biomechanical body heat map}, series = {Applied Ergonomics}, volume = {132}, journal = {Applied Ergonomics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104671}, pages = {30}, abstract = {Human-centred and ergonomic work design is one of the most important drivers for increasing the competitiveness of the European Union. As a flexible, person-specific occupational measure, exoskeletons promise great potential for effectively reducing individual ergonomic stress. Digital human models can provide important insights and offer great potential for systematising the effect and targeted use of exoskeletons, supporting their effective implementation in practice. In this article, digital human models are applied on two levels. Firstly, a realistic industrial logistics scenario in which boxes had to be relocated is designed with the help of a digital human model for workplace and process planning and secondly, a new biomechanical evaluation methodology to analyse intended and unintended effects on internal stress on the human body is demonstrated by applying musculoskeletal exoskeleton human models of four test subjects. Finally, the modelled biomechanical support tendencies of one exoskeleton are preliminary validated using EMG measurement data of the back muscles collected from the four male workers. The preliminary analysis of two back-support exoskeletons to demonstrate the new methodological approach confirms the expected, intended effects in the lower back and reveals unintended effects, such as e.g. changes in knee kinetics when applying a soft or hard-frame exoskeleton. Furthermore, the exemplary results to demonstrate the methodological approach expose notable differences between the test subjects, which underlines the relevance of person-specific evaluation and consideration of exoskeleton support. The preliminary validation shows a correlation between the modelled and the EMG-measured biomechanical exoskeleton support of the considered back muscles.}, language = {en} } @article{Seifert, author = {Seifert, Ruth}, title = {The "Human Rights Profession" and War: Humanitarian Help and Social Work in Armed Conflicts}, series = {Journal of Human Rights and Social Work}, volume = {9}, journal = {Journal of Human Rights and Social Work}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, doi = {10.1007/s41134-024-00349-5}, pages = {360 -- 371}, abstract = {Whereas, in the past, social work publications dealing with armed conflict were of interest to a relatively small community; beginning with the Ukraine conflict, this issue has moved into the center of social work discourses. This has raised issues concerning the positioning of social work in political and armed conflict again. Looking at the literature on social work and armed conflicts, it is generally assumed that the definition of the human rights profession also holds for social work in situations of violent collective conflicts. This, however, raises questions. This paper will argue that antinomies emerge for social work resulting from the definition as a human rights profession and the realities of humanitarian work in armed conflicts which have yet to be dealt with.}, language = {en} } @article{SchmiedtEmpacherKamps, author = {Schmiedt, Anja B. and Empacher, Christina and Kamps, Udo}, title = {One- and two-sided prediction intervals for future Pareto record values with applications}, series = {Journal of Statistical Theory and Applications}, journal = {Journal of Statistical Theory and Applications}, publisher = {Springer}, issn = {2214-1766}, doi = {10.1007/s44199-025-00119-w}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-81605}, pages = {26}, abstract = {Based on upper record values in a series of observations over time from a Pareto distribution, an exact and several approximate one-sided and two-sided prediction intervals for the next record value (or for another future record value) to appear are studied and compared by means of an extensive simulation study. The performances of the prediction intervals are evaluated and recommendations are proposed for what method should be used in a given situation with respect to the form of the prediction interval on the one hand and to the tail behaviour on the other. The proposed methods are applied to insurance, environmental and sports data, where the respectively fitted Pareto distributions show a different tail behaviour. As a result, it is seen that although the number of observed record values in the presented real data applications is rather small, as it is usually the case, the selected prediction intervals are of practical use.}, language = {en} } @article{DotterHaugSchnelletal., author = {Dotter, Caroline and Haug, Sonja and Schnell, Rainer and Raptis, Georgios and Weber, Karsten}, title = {Sharing health data for research purposes: results of a population survey in Germany}, series = {BMC health services research}, volume = {25}, journal = {BMC health services research}, publisher = {BMC}, doi = {10.1186/s12913-025-12706-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-81622}, pages = {9}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Increased use of health data has the potential to improve both health care and health policies. Several recent policy initiatives at the European and German legislative levels aim to increase the primary and secondary use of health data. However, little is known about general population views on health data access for research. Most studies are based on subsets defined by specific illnesses. METHODS: We commissioned a national computer-assisted dual-frame telephone survey (landline and mobile). Logit estimation models were used to identify predictors of willingness to provide access to health data to different organizations (universities in Germany, universities worldwide, German government organizations, pharmaceutical companies). RESULTS: A high willingness to share health data for research purposes is observed, depending on the specific data recipient. The willingness is highest for research at universities in Germany and German governmental organizations, and lowest regarding research by pharmaceutical companies. The main drivers for sharing health data are the level of trust in public institutions, the respondents' assessment of the seriousness and likelihood of data misuse, and the level of digital literacy. Age, gender, and level of education have small effects and do not determine the willingness to share health data for all organizations. CONCLUSION: We present evidence from a random sample of the German population. The results indicate widespread support among the population for providing access to health data for research purposes. Similar to findings in other countries, the willingness depends strongly on the recipient of the data. This paper evaluates the impact of various determinants - identified in previous qualitative and quantitative research - on the willingness of the German population to share health data. While previous studies have found that patients are generally more willing to share health data, we found that the presence of a medical precondition does not translate into respondents' unequivocal support for health data sharing. We identify privacy concerns, general trust, and digital literacy as key factors influencing the willingness to share health data. Therefore, policymakers and stakeholders need to ensure and communicate the necessary privacy protection measures to increase the willingness of the German population to share health data.}, language = {en} } @misc{RueckertRueckertPalm, author = {R{\"u}ckert, Tobias and R{\"u}ckert, Daniel and Palm, Christoph}, title = {Corrigendum to "Methods and datasets for segmentation of minimally invasive surgical instruments in endoscopic images and videos: A review of the state of the art" [Comput. Biol. Med. 169 (2024) 107929]}, series = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, journal = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, publisher = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108027}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-70337}, pages = {1}, abstract = {The authors regret that the SAR-RARP50 dataset is missing from the description of publicly available datasets presented in Chapter 4.}, language = {en} } @article{HammerNunesHammeretal., author = {Hammer, Simone and Nunes, Danilo Weber and Hammer, Michael and Zeman, Florian and Akers, Michael and G{\"o}tz, Andrea and Balla, Annika and Doppler, Michael Christian and Fellner, Claudia and Da Platz Batista Silva, Natascha and Thurn, Sylvia and Verloh, Niklas and Stroszczynski, Christian and Wohlgemuth, Walter Alexander and Palm, Christoph and Uller, Wibke}, title = {Deep learning-based differentiation of peripheral high-flow and low-flow vascular malformations in T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery MRI}, series = {Clinical hemorheology and microcirculation}, journal = {Clinical hemorheology and microcirculation}, edition = {Pre-press}, publisher = {IOP Press}, doi = {10.3233/CH-232071}, pages = {1 -- 15}, abstract = {BACKGROUND Differentiation of high-flow from low-flow vascular malformations (VMs) is crucial for therapeutic management of this orphan disease. OBJECTIVE A convolutional neural network (CNN) was evaluated for differentiation of peripheral vascular malformations (VMs) on T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery (STIR) MRI. METHODS 527 MRIs (386 low-flow and 141 high-flow VMs) were randomly divided into training, validation and test set for this single-center study. 1) Results of the CNN's diagnostic performance were compared with that of two expert and four junior radiologists. 2) The influence of CNN's prediction on the radiologists' performance and diagnostic certainty was evaluated. 3) Junior radiologists' performance after self-training was compared with that of the CNN. RESULTS Compared with the expert radiologists the CNN achieved similar accuracy (92\% vs. 97\%, p = 0.11), sensitivity (80\% vs. 93\%, p = 0.16) and specificity (97\% vs. 100\%, p = 0.50). In comparison to the junior radiologists, the CNN had a higher specificity and accuracy (97\% vs. 80\%, p <  0.001; 92\% vs. 77\%, p <  0.001). CNN assistance had no significant influence on their diagnostic performance and certainty. After self-training, the junior radiologists' specificity and accuracy improved and were comparable to that of the CNN. CONCLUSIONS Diagnostic performance of the CNN for differentiating high-flow from low-flow VM was comparable to that of expert radiologists. CNN did not significantly improve the simulated daily practice of junior radiologists, self-training was more effective.}, language = {en} } @misc{BrauneGreinerKappenetal., author = {Braune, N. and Greiner, M. and Kappen, F. and Kerscher, S. and Mezler, C. and Walter, L. and Mertens, J. and Pfingsten, Andrea}, title = {Investigation of Cognitive-Motor Interference in Dual Tasking}, series = {physioscience}, volume = {21}, journal = {physioscience}, number = {S 01}, publisher = {Thieme}, doi = {10.1055/s-0045-1808174}, pages = {S36}, abstract = {The transferability of the results to the overall population is limited due to the small sample size, unequal gender distribution, and a low average age. The researchers suspect a subconscious prioritization of the Cognitive Task during Dual Tasking through a division of limited attention resources of the central nervous system. In general, the findings of this study are closely aligned with the key points of the Central Capacity Sharing Model [1] and the Bottleneck Theory [2]. For future research, it is essential to consider a larger sample size, a more balanced gender distribution, and the inclusion of diverse age groups in order to achieve more reliable results.}, language = {en} } @article{OttRosengarthDoenitzetal., author = {Ott, Christian and Rosengarth, Katharina and Doenitz, Christian and Hoehne, Julius and Wendl, Christina and Dodoo-Schittko, Frank and Lang, Elmar Wolfgang and Schmidt, Nils Ole and Goldhacker, Markus}, title = {Preoperative Assessment of Language Dominance through Combined Resting-State and Task-Based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging}, series = {Journal of personalized medicine}, volume = {11}, journal = {Journal of personalized medicine}, number = {12}, publisher = {MDPI}, doi = {10.3390/jpm11121342}, abstract = {Brain lesions in language-related cortical areas remain a challenge in the clinical routine. In recent years, the resting-state fMRI (RS-fMRI) was shown to be a feasible method for preoperative language assessment. The aim of this study was to examine whether language-related resting-state components, which have been obtained using a data-driven independent-component-based identification algorithm, can be supportive in determining language dominance in the left or right hemisphere. Twenty patients suffering from brain lesions close to supposed language-relevant cortical areas were included. RS-fMRI and task-based (TB-fMRI) were performed for the purpose of preoperative language assessment. TB-fMRI included a verb generation task with an appropriate control condition (a syllable switching task) to decompose language-critical and language-supportive processes. Subsequently, the best fitting ICA component for the resting-state language network (RSLN) referential to general linear models (GLMs) of the TB-fMRI (including models with and without linguistic control conditions) was identified using an algorithm based on the Dice index. Thereby, the RSLNs associated with GLMs using a linguistic control condition led to significantly higher laterality indices than GLM baseline contrasts. LIs derived from GLM contrasts with and without control conditions alone did not differ significantly. In general, the results suggest that determining language dominance in the human brain is feasible both with TB-fMRI and RS-fMRI, and in particular, the combination of both approaches yields a higher specificity in preoperative language assessment. Moreover, we can conclude that the choice of the language mapping paradigm is crucial for the mentioned benefits.}, language = {en} } @article{PlankRosengarthSchmalhoferetal., author = {Plank, Tina and Rosengarth, Katharina and Schmalhofer, Carolin and Goldhacker, Markus and Brandl-R{\"u}hle, Sabine and Greenlee, Mark W.}, title = {Perceptual learning in patients with macular degeneration}, series = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {5}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01189}, pages = {1 -- 14}, abstract = {Patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or hereditary macular dystrophies (JMD) rely on an efficient use of their peripheral visual field. We trained eight AMD and five JMD patients to perform a texture-discrimination task (TDT) at their preferred retinal locus (PRL) used for fixation. Six training sessions of approximately one hour duration were conducted over a period of approximately 3 weeks. Before, during and after training twelve patients and twelve age-matched controls (the data from two controls had to be discarded later) took part in three functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions to assess training-related changes in the BOLD response in early visual cortex. Patients benefited from the training measurements as indexed by significant decrease (p = 0.001) in the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between the presentation of the texture target on background and the visual mask, and in a significant location specific effect of the PRL with respect to hit rate (p = 0.014). The following trends were observed: (i) improvement in Vernier acuity for an eccentric line-bisection task; (ii) positive correlation between the development of BOLD signals in early visual cortex and initial fixation stability (r = 0.531); (iii) positive correlation between the increase in task performance and initial fixation stability (r = 0.730). The first two trends were non-significant, whereas the third trend was significant at p = 0.014, Bonferroni corrected. Consequently, our exploratory study suggests that training on the TDT can enhance eccentric vision in patients with central vision loss. This enhancement is accompanied by a modest alteration in the BOLD response in early visual cortex.}, language = {en} } @misc{GreenleeAnstisRosengarthetal., author = {Greenlee, Mark W. and Anstis, Stuart and Rosengarth, Katharina and Goldhacker, Markus and Brandl-R{\"u}hle, Sabine and Plank, Tina}, title = {Neural correlates of perceptual filling-in: fMRI evidence in the foveal projection zone of patients with central scotoma}, series = {Journal of Vision / Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting Abstract}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Vision / Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting Abstract}, number = {9}, publisher = {ARVO}, issn = {1534-7362}, doi = {10.1167/12.9.1303}, abstract = {Patients with juvenile retinal dystrophy often report that they are unaware of their central scotoma, suggesting the presence of perceptual filling-in. We used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to determine possible neural correlates of perceptual filling-in in patients with retinal distrophy and clinically established central scotoma in both eyes. The data of 5 patients (Stargardt disease, cone-rod dystrophy; mean age 45 yrs; scotoma diameter 10-20°) and of 5 normally sighted controls were analyzed. Fixation behaviour and perimetry were measured with a Nidek microperimeter. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a Siemens 3T Allegra scanner. We stimulated the central visual field (30 deg) with a vertically oriented, low spatial frequency (1 c/deg) high-contrast sinewave grating that was either a) continuous, or b) was interrupted by a central grey disk. The disk was either slightly larger than the scotoma (detectable on 75\% of trials) or slightly smaller (detectable on 25\% of trials). To control for attention, an eccentric fixation task was performed during scanning. Data were analyzed using SPM8 (GLM with ROI analysis to obtain percent signal change for foveal projection zone). Results: for all patients, the BOLD signal in the foveal projection area was significantly higher for the small disk (i.e., condition leading to complete filling-in) than for the large disk (i.e., no filling-in). This effect was absent in the control subjects. Our findings support the existence of an active neural process that leads to filling-in in patients with central visual field scotomata.}, language = {en} } @article{GoldhackerRosengarthPlanketal., author = {Goldhacker, Markus and Rosengarth, Katharina and Plank, Tina and Greenlee, Mark W.}, title = {The effect of feedback on performance and brain activation during perceptual learning}, series = {Vision research}, volume = {99}, journal = {Vision research}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {1878-5646}, doi = {10.1016/j.visres.2013.11.010}, pages = {99 -- 110}, abstract = {We investigated the role of informative feedback on the neural correlates of perceptual learning in a coherent-motion detection paradigm. Stimulus displays consisted of four patches of moving dots briefly (500 ms) presented simultaneously, one patch in each visual quadrant. The coherence level was varied in the target patch from near threshold to high, while the other three patches contained only noise. The participants judged whether coherent motion was present or absent in the target patch. To guarantee central fixation, a secondary RSVP digit-detection task was performed at fixation. Over six training sessions subjects learned to detect coherent motion in a predefined quadrant (i.e., the learned location). Half of our subjects were randomly assigned to the feedback group, where they received informative feedback after each response during training, whereas the other group received non-informative feedback during training that a response button was pressed. We investigated whether the presence of informative feedback during training had an influence on the learning success and on the resulting BOLD response. Behavioral data of 24 subjects showed improved performance with increasing practice. Informative feedback promoted learning for motion displays with high coherence levels, whereas it had little effect on learning for displays with near-threshold coherence levels. Learning enhanced fMRI responses in early visual cortex and motion-sensitive area MT+ and these changes were most pronounced for high coherence levels. Activation in the insular and cingulate cortex was mainly influenced by coherence level and trained location. We conclude that feedback modulates behavioral performance and, to a lesser extent, brain activation in areas responsible for monitoring perceptual learning.}, language = {en} } @article{GreenleeRosengarthSchmalhoferetal., author = {Greenlee, Mark W. and Rosengarth, Katharina and Schmalhofer, Carolin and Goldhacker, Markus and Brandl-R{\"u}hle, Sabine and Plank, Tina}, title = {Perceptual learning in patients with central scotomata due to hereditary and age-related macular dystrophy}, series = {Journal of Vision}, volume = {14}, journal = {Journal of Vision}, number = {10}, publisher = {ARVO}, issn = {1468-4233}, doi = {10.1167/14.10.666}, abstract = {Hereditary and age-related forms of macular dystrophy (MD) are characterized by loss of cone function in the fovea, leading to central scotomata and eccentric fixation at the so-called preferred retinal locus (PRL). We investigated whether perceptual learning enhances visual abilities at the PRL. We also determined the neural correlates (3-Tesla fMRI) of learning success. Twelve MD patients (eight with age-related macular dystrophy, four with hereditary macular dystrophies) were trained on a texture discrimination task (TDT) over six days. Patients underwent three fMRI sessions (before, during and after training) while performing the TDT (target at PRL or opposite PRL). Reading speed, visual acuity (Vernier task) and contrast sensitivity were also assessed before and after training. With one exception, all patients showed improved performance (i.e. significant decrease in stimulus onset asynchronies and reaction times, significant increase in hit rates) on the TDT. Eight patients also showed moderate increases in reading speed, six patients showed improved thresholds in contrast sensitivity and nine patients showed improved thresholds in a vernier visual acuity task after TDT training. We found an increase in BOLD response in the projections zone of the PRL in the primary visual cortex in nine of twelve patients after training. The change in fMRI signal correlated (r = .8; p = .02) with the patients{\^a}€™ performance enhancements when the target was in the PRL. The results suggest that perceptual learning can enhance eccentric vision and cortical processing in MD patients.}, language = {en} }